Ulster Business May 2026

Thelatestnewsandexclusivesfromacross Norther nIrelandbusinessandbeyond

HowDeloitteishelpinglocalbusinessesto thrive...notjustsurvive

IanHenryonwhyworkinginEnglandisa fasterprocessthanhere

Isthestudenthousingboomfinallyover?

Wheredoonlinefooddeliveriesleavebricks andmortarsupermarkets?

Andrew Ward ofHubPackagingontheCo Downfirm’svaluesandambitions

Alookatwhat’sbeenhappeningacross Norther nIrelandoverthelastfewweeks

JohnMulgrewpicksoutsomeofthestandouts fromthisyear’sWatchesand Wonders

TakingthebookclubawaytoStJohn’sPoint wasgenius,writesCharleenHurtubise

PatBurnstriesoutSuzuki’sfirstEVandlooks atBMW’slong-awaitediX3

Thedelicatedanceofbeingatthecutting edgeofdevelopingtechnologies

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EDITOR’S COMM EN TS

Thecranesarestill goingupin thecity

Constructionand redevelopment stillseemsto beongoingin Belfastandbeyond,despite what’shappeningoutthereglobally

TitanicQuarter’sLoftlines‘buildto rent’ developmentwillsoonlaunch,bringing almost800apartmentstothemarket, includingaprovisionforsocialhousing

Elsewhere, anumberofhotelsandother majorconstructionschemesareunderway. Thecranesareupatmany,andplanshave beensubmittedforhotelsandthelike, includingHastingsHotels’proposaltoturn theformerBlackstaffChambersbuildingat AmeliaStreetinto anewservicedapartment scheme,includinggroundfloor retail,and officespaceonthetopfloor

Inthisedition Ialsotake acloserlookatthe studenthousingaccommodationboom, andask,isitoveryet,oristheremorestill tocome?

Someinthesectorwouldsayourprovision remainsconsiderablylowerthanthatof similarly-sizedcitieselsewhereintheUK, whileotherswouldarguethatweare perhapsat asaturationpoint.

Interestingly,someoftheschemeshave submittedchangesofusewhichwould potentiallyallowthemtousedfornonstudents,insomecasesoutsideofterm time,whileanotherinplanninghas received abacklashfromthehotelandhospitality sectorover aproposaltousehalfofthe buildingfornon-studentuse.

But Iunderstandthere’satleastonemajor schemeinthepipelineforthecity.It’snot justBelfastofcourse,withplansforstudent housinginColeraine,Portstewart,and Derry

Youcan readmoreaboutitinthisedition.

WelcometotheMayeditionof Ulster Business.WespeaktoDeloitteabout helpingfirmsthrive,PavelBarterlooksat theimpactthewarintheMiddleEastis havingonNI,theriseoftheonlinegrocer, and IspeaktoIanHenryofHenryBros.

Pleaseenjoytheedition,andwe’llcatchup soon. ■

JohnMulgrew

Publisher UlsterBusiness c/oMediahuisUKLtd

Belfast TelegraphHouse,33ClarendonRoad, ClarendonDock,BelfastBT13BG

Printer W&GBaird GreystonePress,CaulsideDrive, AntrimBT412RS www.wgbaird.com

Editor JohnMulgrew,john.mulgrew@mediahuis.co.uk

Advertising JudithMartin,judith.martin@mediahuis.co.uk LouiseHenderson,louise.henderson@mediahuis.co.uk CharlottePrentice,charlotte.prentice@mediahuis.co.uk

Graphicdesign SusanMcClean,MediahuisIrelandDesignStudio

Coverphoto ElaineHill

UlsterBusinessMagazine @ulsterbusiness www.ulsterbusiness.com

Amonth innumbers NI ‘canofferpredictability andstability’ forfirmsamid MiddleEastcrisis

35

Thenumberofjobs beinglostatPure Fitout,whichisclosing itsdoors.

7

Thenumberofshorttermlets refused permissionbyBelfast CityCouncilinthe spaceof amonth.

£4m

Theinvestmentin refurbishingthe ArmaghCityHotel byownerMcKeever Hotels.

11

Thenumberofstoreys in aproposednew servicedapartment developmentby HastingsHotelsin Belfastcitycentre.

Protestersgather atFederalPlaza inChicagoto demonstrate againstthejointUS andIsraelimilitary operationinIran

JohnMulgrew

NorthernIrelandcanoffer “predictabilityandstability”for investmentandcanbeanattractive placetodobusinessamidtheongoing MiddleEastconflict,it’sbeenclaimed.

ConflictintheMiddleEasthas reinforced thenotionthatNorthernIrelandcanoffer “predictabilityandstability”forbusiness investments,accordingto aleadingbank economist.

SebastianBurnside,chiefeconomistat NatWest,believesthatdespitetheUS-Israeli warwithIran,whichhascausedunprecedented disruptionofoilandgasdistribution,Northern Ireland“stillhastheopportunitytobean attractiveplacetodobusinessandtotrade overseas,whetherthat’swiththeUS,Europe, the restoftheUK,orintoAsia”.

“Weare movingtowardaworldwheretrade flowswillbemoredistributedbetweenlotsof differentplacesratherthanunidirectional,”he told UlsterBusiness

“Thatstrikesmeas areallygoodstrategy forNorthernIrelandtocontinuetotryto create.”From alocalperspective,theremay benewfoundopportunitiestoo.“Ahuge numberoftravelplanstotouristhotspotsare

beingcancelledand re-planned,openingup a newwaveofpotentialcustomersforNorthern Ireland’stourismandleisuresector.”

MarkO’Connell,executivechairmanand founderofOCOGlobal, aBelfast-based advisoryfirmfocusedontrade,investmentand economicdevelopment,describedtheconflict as“apauseinconfidence,not abreakdownin fundamentalsandDubaicontinuestobenefit frombeingthe region’smoststableoperating base.”OCOGlobalisoneof anumberofNI businesses(likedairycompanyGreenfields Ireland)withanofficeinDubai.

“ForNorthernIrelandbusinesseswith abase inDubai,theimmediateimpacthasbeenmore aboutdelayeddecision-makingandincreased cautionratherthanoperationaldisruption,”Mr O’Connellsays.

“Dealsareslowing,notcollapsing.”Thishas ledtoincreasedtighteninginfinancingandcost pressures.“Businessesareseeingslightlyhigher borrowingcostsandmoreselectivelending, alongsiderisinginsurance,freight,andlogistics costsdrivenby regionalriskpremiums.”

Operationalcontinuity remainsstrongin Dubai,MrO’Connellsays.“Day-to-daybusiness activityislargelyunaffected.”

Readthefullfeatureonpage35-38

BestofNI to be showcasedduringManufacturing Month:

‘It’s botha celebrationandcall to action’

MargaretCanning

Norther nIreland’smanufacturerswillbecelebrated duringMayasManufacturingMonth returns.

Eventswillshowcasetheinnovationandleadershipwhich haveturnedNorther nIrelandinto aglobalmanufacturingsuccess story.

Businessesandstakeholderswillalsocometogethertohighlightthe vitalcontributionofthesectortotheNIeconomy.

StephenKelly,chiefexecutiveofManufacturingNI,saiditwouldbe “both acelebrationandcalltoaction”.

“Manufacturingcontinuestobe apowerhouseofoureconomy. Itdrivesinnovation,developstalentanddelivershigh-qualityjobsin communitiesacrossNorther nIreland....

“Atthesametime,thesectorfacessignificantchallenges,from skillsshortagesandcostpressurestothepaceoftechnologicalchange andthetransitiontonet-zero.

“ManufacturingMonthprovidesanimportantopportunitytobring industryleaderstogether,sharebestpractice,andshapethefuture directionofthesector.”

TurnerofAMIC,RichardReaneyfromBarclays,RachelDohertyofManufacturing NI,DarrenMarleyfromMillsSelig,StephenKellyofManufacturingNI,BenCraigof Carbonfit,JeanMcCulloughfromRelianceAutomation,DarrenMcVickerof Vickerstock, andJohnnyHannaofKPMG

ManufacturingMonthisledbyManufacturingNIandsupported bytheAdvancedManufacturingInnovationCentre(AMIC),Barclays, KPMG,MillsSelig,RelianceAutomation, VickerstockandCarbonfit.

Publicsector ‘nolongersustainable and requiressignificant change’

Theremustbe reformofNorther nIreland’spublicsector with90%ofaccountantsheresayingimprovedefficiency mustcomebeforetaxhikes.

Halfof respondentstoCharteredAccountantsUlsterSocietybelieve Norther nIreland’s currentpublicfundingmodelisnolongersustainable and requiressignificantchange.

Andnineoutof10saybelieve“improvingefficiencyandprioritising existingspendingmustcomebeforeraisingtaxesorcuttingservices”.

Just6%ofthose respondingbelievetheeconomicoutlookisposition, withthemajority(56%)expecting“fair”conditionsand38% remaining pessimistic.

Meanwhile,58% reportedthatfinancialdistressamongbusinessesis stillincreasing,underliningthepersistentstrainacrosstheeconomy.

And76%ofrespondentsdescribecurrentconditionsaseither stagnant(38%)orgrowingonlyslowly(38%),withjust7% reporting strongormoderategrowth.

Almostallofthosesurveyedsaidtherisingcostofdoingbusiness remained amajornegativefactor,alongsidetaxation,energycostsand widerpublicfinancepressures.

“Norther nIreland’seconomyhasstabilised,butmomentum remains modest.Businessescontinuetofaceelevatedcostsandfinancial pressures,andgreaterconfidencewilldependonclearer,fasterpolicy delivery,”MarkLawther,chairmanofCharteredAccountantsUlster Society,said.

“Thereisaclearmessagefromourmembersthat reformmustcome beforeadditional revenue-raising.Improvinghowpublicmoneyisspent, alongsidestrongergovernanceanddecision-making,isessentialto restoringconfidence.

“Atthesametime,therearerealopportunitiestotransformour economicoutlook. Amorecompetitivecorporationtaxrate,combined withNorther nIreland’suniquedualmarketaccess,hasthepotentialto attractsignificantinvestment –butonlyifsupportedbyclearstrategy anddelivery.

Quotes of the month

“Itisclear thatNI’s housing marketretainedits momentumin March, with solid pricegrowth, agood number of salesandgood demand.”

RICS’SamuelDickey speakingabouttheNI housingmarket.

“WealsoseegrowingpotentialinareassuchasAIandinnovation, whichcansupportproductivityandlong-termgrowth.Thechallenge nowistotur nopportunityintoaction.”

Morethan200charteredaccountantsinNorther nIrelandtookpartin thesurvey.

“Aclearandconsistentthemethroughoutthefindingsistheneedfor fundamentalpublicsector reform,”itsays.

“Respondentsexpressedstrongconcernsaroundgovernanceand delivery,pointingtoinefficiency,slowdecision-makingand alackof strategicdirectionaskeybarrierstogrowth.

“Publicsectorperformanceiswidelyviewedas aconstrainton economicprogress,particularlyinareassuchasinfrastructure,skillsand servicedelivery.

“Atthesametime,thereisstrongsupportformeasurestoenhance competitiveness.85%of respondentsbelieve amorecompetitive corporationtaxratewouldstrengthenNorther nIreland’sabilityto attractand retainmobileinvestment.”

“Businesseswant to seean agreed,long-term economic plan that provides clarit y, certaint yanddirection, and whichwecanallgetbehind.”

SuzanneWylieofNI Chamberspeakingabout whatfirmshereneedto futureplan.

“Despitethe generally positivepicture, theMiddle East conflicthadanimpact in March, mostnotably throughmuchstrongerprice pressures.”

NatWestchiefeconomist SebastianBurnsideonNI’s economicperformance.

CoDown bakerytoopen Belfast shop

ACoDownartisanbakeryis expandingandopening anew locationintheheartofBelfastcity centre.

RoundhouseBakery,whichislocatedin Hillsborough,lookssettotakeon anewlyrefurbishedunitatCathedralBuildings onDonegallStreet.ItwillsitbesidePeter Thompson’snewFlout!pizza restaurant.

Thebakery,whichproduces awideofrange ofbreadsandotherbakedgoods,wassetup byHannahandShaneDonaldson.

TheCoDownpairbegantheirbusinesswith homedelivery,beforeopeningtheirfirstshop

RoundhouseBakery inHillsborough

inHillsborough.

ItwillopenitsnewstoreatCathedral Buildings,whichwas recently refurbished followed aseriousfirein2022.

RoundhousewillsitnexttothenewFlout! pizza-by-the-slicebusiness.

PeterThompson’sbusinessbeganat Portview TradeCentreineastBelfast,before growingandgoingviral.

Now,fouryearsafteropeningitsdoors,he isabouttolaunchhislatestventure–anew Flout!shopinDonegallStreet.

Flout!’sslicesincludetheSpicyKing –a Detroit-styledeep-pantoppedwithpepperoni fromMoira’sIspini,andhothoney.

WhileFlout!takesinspirationfromtheUS foritsvarietiessoldbytheslice,MrThompson saysthisis“LittleBelfastpizza”.

Ex-Wrightbusbosscontestingboardroomban has‘waitedovera year fordepartment response

’

Lawyersfortheformerbossof Wrightbushavebeenwaiting morethan ayearfor areply from aStormontdepartmentaspartof directordisqualificationproceedings,a courthasheard.

Thecase relatestothe2019 administrationoffive WrightGroup companies: Wrightbus,WrightEn-Drive, WrightComposites, WrightsGroupand Metallix.

AdministratorsfromDeloittefoundthat creditorswereowed£60m.

CounselforJeffWrighttold aBelfast Courtlastmonththeystillhaven’thad aresponsefromtheDepartmentforthe Economy(DfE)toanaffidavitsubmittedin April2025.

AlawyerforDfEtoldMasterKellythatit wouldfile arejoinderinthecomingweeks. Disqualificationsarebroughttocourtby DfEoverallegationsofunfitconductonthe partofdirectorsoffailedcompanies. Mr Wright,andtheothernamed

respondents,arecontestingtheproceedings.

Alawyer representingMr Wrightaskedfor afirmdatetobesetfor areply.

AlawyerforDfEtoldthecourtthey understoodthe rejoinderwaswithcounsel, andintheearlystagesofdraft.

TheyaddeditwastheirunderstandingDfE

willsubmit ashort reply.

Allpartiespresentagreedto anewdateof June11for areviewofthecase.

TheBelfast Telegraph revealedDfEhad spentover£36,000onlegalfees relatedto thedisqualificationproceedingsasoflast December.

NI constructionfirm‘eyeing England expansion’amidquickerturnaround thanNI

ANorther nIrelandfamily-run constructionfirmiseyeingfurther expansioninthenorthofEngland andsays“workturnaroundisquicker” thanhere.

IanHenry,directoratHenryBros,alsosays muchofthesizeableworkhereis“dictatedby whatgovernmentisgoingatanytimeofthe daywhichdoesn’thelpanyindustry”.

“Theworkturnround[inGB]isquicker,”he told UlsterBusiness.“We nothave awellestablishedbusinessintheMidland,forthe last10years –webuiltthatupourselves,and didn’tbuyanyoneout.”

TheHenryBrosdirector, whoalsoheadsup its Windellbusiness,sayswhilethings remain strongforthefamily-foundedbusiness –now inits50thyear –thatinputcostsandmaterials arecontinuingtorise,andthecurrentongoing politicalfluxintheMiddleEastisn’thelping.

Thefirmisjuststartedbuildingitsnew

headquartersinMagherafelt –athreestorey buildingwhichwillholdsome60staffwhen completed.Thecompanynowemploysaround 220people.

Attheendoflastyear,Queen’sUniversity Belfast(QUB)announcedHenryBroshad beenselectedasthecontractortodeliver a £37mexpansionin TitanicQuarter,withthat developmentnowwellunderway

MrHenrysays,typically,around80%ofits business remainselsewhereintheUK,primarily inEngland.

“Thisyearthatswungtoaround60%in GB,”hesays.“WehavehadtheQUBproject andthenewDVA(testcentre)atMallusk.” Lookingatexpansion,theRepublicisn’ta focusforthefirm.ButIansaysthereisgood growthopportunityinthenorthofEngland.

“Wedon’tdoanythinginthesouthatall. It’s not amarketweintendtogetinto…[there areenoughfirms]init.

“Weare concentratingmoreonthe Midlands –Manchesterhasgoodgrowth potential.

“Thereisgoodgrowthpotentialonthe mainland.”

IansaysNorther nIrelandworkis“dictated bywhatgovernmentisgoingatanytimeof thedaywhichdoesn’thelpanyindustry”.

“Theydictatewhatcomesout,”hesays. “Whatwehaveseenisthatifgovernment doesn’tspend,theprivatesectordoesn’t. We havetohelpthatwholecyclemoving.”

Inthecaseofnewschooltendersandwork here,Iansaysthatcouldbe“inthesystem”for fivetoeightyears,withdevelopmentsnowdrip feeding.

“Anyonewaitinginonthoseprojectsback then[willhavehada]hardtimesittingon them,”hesays.

Readthefullinterviewonpage22-23

W&RBarnettseesprofits rise to almost £100m

Norther nIreland’slargestfamily firmhasseensalesrisetomore than£1.6bnwithpre-taxprofitsof £98m.

W&RBarnettLtd,whichincludes arangeof differentbusinesses,alsosawitsstaffnumbers growbymorethan500 –risingto2,342. Thecompany, whichisheadquartered inBelfast,bringstogetherdifferentsectors includingcommoditytrading,storageand agribusinessfirms

Duringthelatestaccountingperiod,the companytookontheSymphonyGroup –growingitsoverallsalesandheadcount followingthemajoritytakeover

Thefirmcameinatthenumbertwospot onthisyear’s UlsterBusiness Top100Norther n IrelandCompanieslist,justbehindpoultry giantPilgrim’sEurope.

W&RBarnett,whichisheadedby William Bar nett,toppedthelistin2023,with a turnoverof£1.57bn

InthelatestaccountsendingJuly2025,the firmpostedpre-taxprofitsof£98.9m,with

profitsattributabletotheparentcompanyof £59.1m

Initslatestaccounts,itsaysthegroupwill continuetoseek“suitableacquisitions”

“Thedirectorsconsiderthatboththelevel ofbusinessduringtheyearandthefinancial positionatyear-endweresatisfactory,”itsays.

“Turnoverincreasedintheyeardueto increasedvolumesandtheacquisitionof SymphonyHoldingsLtd,anditssubsidiaries… profitabilityincreasedduringtheyeardueto improvedtradingconditions,margins,the acquisition…andgainsondisposaloffinancial/ fixedassets”.

Speakingaboutthedealtotake onSymphonyGroupitsaysthe“total considerationpaidwas£105.3m(netof expenses),andthefairvalueofassetsacquired was£125.1m”.

Thedirectorsstatedthatthegroupwill continuetopursue“suitableacquisitions”to ensureongoingdevelopment.

Thegroupwasformedin1896andis currentlyheadedby WilliamBarnett.

Itis afourth-generationfamilybusiness, havingbeenfoundedas agrainmerchant.

It’safirmwithseveralstrands,includingthe internationaltradeingrainsandderivatives, molassestrading,animalfeedandpackaging.

It remainsoneofNorther nIreland’smost successfulandbiggestfamily-ownedandrun businesses.

Speakingaboutclimatechangeandits environmentalimpact,itsaysthegroup “acknowledgesthesignificanceofclimate changeanditspotentialimpactonour business”.

“Theboardhasoverall responsibilityfor thegroup’sclimateimpactandenvironmental activities,implementationof relatedactions, theassociated reductionofthegroup’scarbon impactandbusinessopportunitiesarisingas a result

“Thedivisionalchiefexecutivecollaborates withthedesignatedindividual,andworking groupswhereapplicable,tounderstandclimaterelatedrisks,opportunities,andimpactsto guidethedivision’soverallbusinessstrategy.”

TheformerDukesHoteloffBotanic AvenueinBelfastwhichcouldsoon reopenasQueen’sHotelBelfast

Belfasthotel linked toRory McIlroy caddie to reopenundernewname

ApopularBelfasthotellinkedto RoryMcIlroy’scaddiewill reopen thissummerunder anewname andmanagement, UlsterBusiness can reveal.

DukesatQueen’sinthebusystudent heartlandofBotanic Avenuewaspreviously onthemarketasfarbackas2015,andwas recentlyplacedbackonsalefor£2.6m.

IthadbeenlinkedtoRoryMcIlroy’scaddie andfamily.

Now,it’sunderstoodithasbeentaken overbythe WarrenBelfast —whichisleasing theproperty.The WarrenBelfastoperatesa guesthousenotfarfromBotanic Avenue,on UniversityRoad.

ThenewspotwillbecalledQueen’sHotel Belfast,andisbeingleasedbytheteambehind the WarrenBelfast.

Thecompanycould reopenthe32-bedroom hotelbyearlysummer,andiscurrently recruitingfor araftof roles —fromhotel manager,tohousekeeping,barstaff,and administrationstaff.

DukesatQueen’s,offBotanic Avenue, hasbeenownedbytheDiamondpuband

hospitalitygroupsince2009,andwas previouslyownedbythe WelcomeGroup.

AccordingtoCompaniesHouse,the directorsofDukesBelfastLLPareEamonand EileenDiamond,alongwiththeirsonHarry Diamond,whohasbeencaddietoRoryMcIlroy since2017.

Andit’salsounderstoodStreetFoodAtelier willberunningthefoodand restaurant elementofthehotel.Itcurrentlyoperatesa popularfoodvanatBoundaryBrewing,and also recentlyannounceditwasservingfoodat MarcosinOmagh.

AccordingtoConnorPatterson,manager ofthe WarrenBelfast, recruitmentfor arange of rolesisnowongoing.Hesaidithopesto launchthenewvenueinthecomingweeks, withthedoorslikelyopenintimeforsummer.

The WarrenBelfastis a10-bedroom guesthouse,locatednotfarawayfromthe newventure.

It’sanend-terracelisted Victorianbuilding, whichwascompletely refurbishedand restored beforeopening.

“Wherepossibletheelegant Victorian featureshavebeen restoredandthus preserved,”thecompanysays.

“Chandeliers,woodpanellingandgold

mirrorsgive aluxuriousaspect.Theowners havescouredBelfasttoaddobjectsof curiosityandinteresttoindividualisethe rooms.

“Ifyouareboredbystayinginanonymous boxes,soullesslyuniformandwantto experienceBelfastinstyleandcomfortthen thisisyouropportunity.”

TheformerDukesatQueen’sbuildingwas listedforsaleat£3mlastyear,marketedby CBRE.Itwasthenonthemarketonceagain with Avison Young,for£2.6m.

WhenitwasadvertisedbyCBRE,the companydescribeditas“ideallypositioned just ashortwalkfromQueen’sUniversity Belfast,BotanicGardens,andthebustling Botanic Avenue,DukesatQueen’soccupiesa prominentcornersiteinoneofthecity’smost sought-afterhospitalitylocations”.

“Thehotelcomprises32well-appointed en-suitebedrooms,eachfinishedto ahigh standardwith Villeroy &Bochbathroom suites,graniteworktops,heatedtowelrails, anti-mistmirrors,andwalk-indrenchshowers and/orluxurybaths.

“Thegroundfloorfeatures acontemporary barand restaurant,aswellas aflexible conferenceandbanquetingsuite.” ■

Councilrejectsplansforsevenshortterm holiday letsinspaceofmonth

Permissionformorethanhalfa dozenshort-termandholiday propertiesinBelfasthasbeen refusedinthespaceofjust afewweeks,it canbe revealed.

Citycouncilplannershave rejectedplans forsevenhousesandflatstobeusedas short-termaccommodation,oftenfoundon platformssuchasAirbnb.

Manyoftheconcernssurroundpolicies aroundshort-termletstakingtheplaceof full-timehousingstock,and ademonstrated demandorneedforsuchpropertiesin particularareas.

Anotherarea,whichhasbeencriticised byoneshort-termletpropertymanagerwho is responsibleforaround60housesand apartments,isthatpartofthepropertyis retainedaspermanent residentialhousing.

Itcomesasmanycitiesarecrackingdown onAirbnb-styleshort-termholidayproperties, withBarcelonainSpainpledginganoutright banonshort-term rentals,whileotherareas areimposingrestrictions.

Someofthosepropertieswhichwereturned downforpermissioninBelfastarelocatedin areasincludingUniversity Avenue(offBotanic

Avenue),BrooklandStreet,thecitycentre, WindsorRoad,Lisbur nRoad,andThorndale Avenue.

Oneshort-termletpropertymanager said:“Formanycases, acommonthread throughoutisthefactthatpartoftheproperty hasto remainopenforpermanenthousing.

“Ifitfails,it’salwaysgoingtofailonthat part.”

Hesaysthatpolicyis“short-sighted”and doesn’tactuallyprotectthehousingstockin thearea.

“Onthatbasis,peoplewon’tknowwhothe personis.Dotheyhavefriends round?Dothey makenoise?

“Fromthehousingperspective, Idon’t believeitmakesanysense.Doesit really retain housingstock? Wouldsomeonewanttolivein justonebedroom?

“Speakinggenerally,thepropertyowners aretechnicallynottakingitoffthehousing market,sothenumbersofavailable residential propertiesmay remainthesame,but, practically,mostpeoplewouldn’twanttolive inthatsituation.”

Meanwhile,councilplannersapprovedthree applicationsforletsduringthesameperiod, withpropertiesinHardcastleStreet,Antrim Road,MorpethStreet,andBlackwoodStreet.

Inthosecases,eachoftheproperties retainsonebedroomforprivate residential use.

Buthe’sinfavourof regulationandbelieves thatthereneedstobebotharetentionof housingstockandshort-letproperties.

“Onedoesn’thavetoexistwithoutthe other,”saystheshort-termletproperty manager.“Airbnbsandshort-letsarepartand parcelofeverything.

“Wheneventsareannouncedhere,the intentionisthatthereare enoughproperties todealwiththenumberofvisitors.Andshorttermletsplay ahugepartinthatandarea hugebenefit.

“Peopledoneedplacestolive.I’mallfor regulation —wedon’twant aW ild West situation.Butif acouncildecidesplanning permissionisneeded,thenithastocomeup with asensiblepolicywhichworks.

“There’sareasonwhythisparticular caveatdoesn’texistinotherjurisdictions.I amconsciousoftheimpacttoareas.Thelast thingyouwouldwantis afamilyin aquiet cul-de-sacandthere’sashort-termletwith lotsofissues. Youdonotwanttohavea negativeimpact.

“Intermsofcertainplaces,theycanbe assetstothecommunity.” ■

MerchantHotel ownerset to opennew Indian-inspiredrestaurantinBelfast

TheownerofBelfast’sfive-star MerchantHotelisopening anew Indian-inspired restaurantinthecity centre,itcanbe revealed.

Beannchorhopestowelcomethefirstdiners toRuonAnnStreetthissummer.

“RuisanexcitingnewIndianinspired restaurantoffering afusionofIrishfoodwith Indianflavour,”itsays.

It’snow recruitingfor arestaurantmanager forthenewspot.

Inanadvertisementforthe role,itdescribes Belfast’s“newest restaurant”asbeing“born fromtworichfoodcultures”.

“RublendsboldIndianflavourswith exceptionalIrishproduce,”itsays.“Ourmenu is amoder ninterpretationofIndiancooking— vibrant,seasonal,anddesignedforsharing.

“Thisis achancetobepartofsomething newfromthegroundup,shapingtheteam, settinghighstandards,andcreatingan exceptionalguestexperience.”

Opendailyforlunchanddinner,Ruwillbe

thefirsttoopenamong anumberofadjoining venues,including apub,cocktailbarand terrace,vinyllisteningbarandclubspacein 2026.

Beannchor,whichalsoownsthenearby Bullitthotel,isinvestingaround£14min anew hospitalityvenueandhotelonthestreet.

“Thislatestdevelopment representsa multimillion-poundinvestmentand,inline withothersignificantheritageprojectswe havecompletedinthecity,willbesympathetic restorationprojectthatwillbringsignificant socio-economicbenefitstothearea,”Bill Wolsey,managingdirectorofBeannchor, previouslytoldtheBelfast Telegraph.

“TheentriessurroundingAnnStreethold greathistoricalsignificance,andweare excitedtobuildonourexistingoperations,to bringnewlifetothisimportantandhistoric thoroughfareintheheartofthecitycentre.

“Wehopetoadvancewithplanswithin thenext12months,whichwillincludea 40-bedroomaparthotel, alargerLittle Wing Pizzeriaandanexpandedbarto replacethe currentlicensedpremiseswithinthebuilding.”

Theplanswouldinclude arestaurantand bars,withanadditionaltwostoreysproposed forhoteluse.

Thesiteishometo aLittle Wingpizza restaurant,theformerLove &Deathcocktail bar,aformerbranchoffrozenyoghurtchain SpoonStreet,andtwo retailunits.

Constructionwillincludebuildingsalong CrownEntry,behindAnnStreet.

Meanwhile,lastyear,thecocktailbaratthe BullitthotelwasnamedBestBarinNorthern Irelandat aUK-widecompetition.

RattlebagattheBullittHotelwonthetitle attheClassBar AwardsattheBatterseaArts CentreinLondon.

JudgedbytheClassCollective, aselection of170barexpertsfromacrosstheUK, theClassBar Awards recognisethetalent, achievementsanddiversityoftheUKbar scene.

TheBestBarinNorther nIrelandis anew additiontotheawardsline-up,withthreeof thefourfinalistscomingfromtheBeannchor Groupstable:Rattlebag,TheMerchant’s CocktailBarandBert’sJazzBar. ■

Focusremainsontalentandskills

inNI’s busyconstructionsector

Despitecontinuedeconomic uncertainty,theconstruction, propertyandengineeringsectors acrossNorther nIrelandarestillverymuch openforbusiness.

AtHays,theflowofjobopportunitieswe areseeingisasstrongasithaseverbeen,with demandspanningthefullspectrumof roles –fromskilledlabourersatoneendthrough toexperiencesiteengineersandmanagers, quantitysurveyors,mechanicalandelectrical engineersandarchitects.

Whilebudgets remainunderscrutinyand publicspendingismoreconstrained,workon thegroundcontinuesatpace.Housingactivity hasalso remained resilient,despiteinflationary pressure,risingmaterialcostsandwelldocumentedinfrastructurechallenges.

However,beneaththispositivepicture,many contractorsarefacingdifficultcommercial realities.Jobspricedsixto12monthsagoare nowbeingdeliveredin averydifferentcost environment.Highfuelprices –driveninpart byglobalinstability –meanthecostofrunning machineryonsiteiseatingintomarginsthat werealreadytight.

Largercontractorswithdiversifiedpipelines arecontinuingtofindopportunitieselsewhere intheUK,butthiscreatestheneedfor acommittedpipelineofpeoplewhoare preparedtotraveland remainflexible.

Atthesametime,competitionfortalent remainsintense.Employersarebusy,which meansmostpeoplearealreadyinwork,so toconvinceexperiencedcandidatestomove, employersnowhavetooffersomething genuinelybetterordifferent.

Ofcourse,acuteskillsshortagesinsectors likeconstructionarenothingnew,butthey arebecomingmorepronounced.Accordingto Hays’Salary &Recruiting Trends2026 report, 93%ofUKemployersexperiencedskills shortagesinthepastyear.Hiringintentions remainstrong.

InNorther nIreland,talent retention consistentlyranksasthenumberoneconcern

foremployers.Competition,unrealisticsalary expectationsand alackofsuitableapplicants haveallputpressureonorganisationstryingto securetherightpeople.

Employeesnowhaveoptionssotheydon’t justaskusaboutsalaryandlocation.Career development,skillsprogression,organisational cultureandsustainabilitycredentialsallplaya role.Employersthatfailtostopandaskiftheir employmentpropositioniscompetitiverisk missingoutontalent.

Ourexperienceisthathavingcandidatesput forwardisnotthesameashavingtheright candidates –orbuilding aworkforcethatwill developandgrowwiththebusiness.Thisis whererecruitmentpartnersneedtooffera morejoinedup,strategicapproachtotalent.

AtHays,ourapproachinconstruction, propertyandengineeringisbuiltonlong standing relationshipsacrossNorther nIreland. Ourspecialistteams,basedinBelfast,Derry andPortadown,workcloselywithclientsto understandnotjustwhotheyneedtoday,but howtheirworkforceneedswillevolve.

OliverSmithleadsonconstruction,property andengineering,Nicola Titteringtonis directorfortrades,labourandmaintenance andMichaelDicksonleadsonpublicsector andproperty.Allhave15yearsormoreof experienceinthesector.

We alsoworkalongside representative bodiessuchasCEFNI,CIBSE,RSUAandCIOB, aswellasbothlocaluniversities,tosupport earlycareerpipelinesandhelpaddressskills gapsbeforetheybecomecritical.

Our researchshowsthat62%ofUKworkers willconsidermovingjobswithinthenextyear drivenby alackoffutureopportunitieswhere theyare,salaryandbenefits,andthenatureof theworkitself.

Thequestionforemployersissimplebut oftenuncomfortable –doyouknowhowyour peopleviewyouandhowyoucomparetoyour competitors?

Increasingly,ourworkinvolveshelping organisationsanswerthatquestion throughmarketinsight,salaryand reward benchmarking,andanalysisofemployerbrand perception.Formany,this revealsopportunities theyhadn’tconsidered.

In amarketwheredemandforskillsshows nosignofeasing,thoseconversationsare nowessential.Norther nIreland’sconstruction sectorhas astrongpipelineofworkahead.The employerswhosucceedwillbethosewhoput thesamelevelofplanningintotheirpeopleas theydointotheirprojects. ■

Ifyouareinterestedinhearingmore,contact ourconstructionteamatbelfast.cp@hays.com

Thales’operationinBelfast

NI weaponsgiantwhichsupplies UkrainemissilestogrowCoDownsite

Aweapon sgiant whic hsup plie s mi ssiles to Ukraineisexpan ding with anew deve lo pm entinC o Down ,itc an be revealed .

Thales,the French -owned arms company, re cently announceditwould op en amajor newsitehere, alongsid eits basesinBelfast andCrossgar

In March2025, PrimeMinis terKeirStarmer announcedthatT halesfac tory in east Belfas t wouldsupply5,0 00 lightweightmultirole missiles (L MMs) to Ukraineinadealwor th up to £1.6 bn

Thecompany currently hasafac tory in east Belfas tand ates tfacility in Cros sgar

Thales managing dire ctor NigelMacVean said thecompany wasinves ting £100 minN I whichwould includeopening at athird site.

Thefirm said it couldcreatesome200 new jobs as aresultofthe ex pansion.

Now, it canberevealedthe companywants to buildanadditionalhub clos etoits exis ting Cros sgar test site

Detailsshowthe applic ationfor thenew developmenthas be en made on behalf of Thales AirD efence,loc ated clos etothe DownpatrickRoadinCrossgar.

“T he prop os ed layout hasb eendevelop ed

havingregardtothe es tablishedpat tern of developmentw ithinthe widersiteand thephy sicalcharacteris tics of thesite,”the applic ations ay s.

“T he unit will be positioned between exis ting buildingstothe northand southand immediatelywes tofthe internal access road andadjoiningindus trialbuilding.”

Plansshowt wo buildingscould be developed, includingapro cessingplant and storagefacility

“T he prop os ed developmentisloc ated within an es tablishedand se cure industrial site whichiss er vedbyp erimeter se curit y fencingand CC TV network, to gether with controlled access arrangements,” it says

It comesasthe UK Government re cently said it will buyfur ther Belfas t- builtmis silesfor Britishforcesinthe Middle East to take down Iraniandrones.

TheMinis tr yofD efence confirmedplans to stockuponmoreofthe laser- guid edMartlet weap ons, whichhaveb eenusedtodow n drones from Tehran

It didnot sayhow many wouldb e purchasedfor se curity reas ons.

Thelight weight multi- role missiles (L MMs) manufactured by Thales UK in east Belfas t

havealready proven “highlyc apable”for air defenceinthe region,the ministry said Sp eaking at thetimeofthe major£1.6bn UK Government deal to purchase more missiles from Thales,Prime Minister Keir St armers aid: “M ysupport forUkraine is unwavering.Iamd eterminedtofind away forwardthatbringsanend to Russia’s illegal warand guarante es Ukrainealasting peace basedons overeignty ands ecurit y.

“I am also clearthatnationals ecurit yis economic se curit y.

“A swellaslevelling up Ukraine’sair defence, this loan will make working pe ople here in theUKb et teroff,b oostingour economyand suppor ting jobs in Northern Irelandand beyond

“Bydoublingdow nonour supp or t, working clos elyw ithkey partners,and ensuring Ukrainehas as trongvoice at the table, Ib elieve we canachieve as trong, lastingdealthatdeliver sap ermanent peace in Ukraine.”

Ukrainehas alread yput theL MM missile to us easpar tofits airdefencesw here it has proven to be ef fe ctiveinprote ctingcivilians andcriticalinfrastructurefromRus sia’s bombardment. ■

Resilience: HowDeloitte ishelping localbusinesses to thrive...notjustsurvive

UlsterBusiness speaksto Deloitte’sAisléanNicholson and ChrisNugent tofindouthowthefirmishelpingbusinessesacrossNorthernIrelandaccelerate strategyandmakedata-drivendecisionsforcompetitiveadvantage

Changeandintensemarket disruptionhavebecomealmost routineforNorther nIreland businesses.

Whiletheregionhasdemonstrated ahigh degreeofresiliencethroughCovid,energy

shocksandinflationpeaks –currentconditions areleavingmarginsthinner,talenttighter,and growthslowerforbusinesses.

Insuchanenvironment,operational competenceisnolongerenough,according toBelfast-basedDeloittepartnerAisléan

NicholsonanddirectorChrisNugent.

“Intheconversationswearehavingwith clients,it’sclearthatstandingstillintoday’s marketisactually astepbackwards,”says Aisléan.“While resilience,and‘doingtheright things,butbetter’is agoodstart,thisisno

longer arobuststrategicgrowthplan.”

Norther nIreland’sdistincteconomicposition –dualaccesstoUKandEUmarkets -remains astructuraladvantagefew regionscanclaim, andthereare manygreatexamplesofsmall andmediumenterprisesdemonstratingagility, entrepreneurialismandcompetitiveness.

YetChrissaysthesesamecharacteristicsalso exposeunderlyingvulnerabilities.

“Manyfirmslackthescaletoabsorbshocks

orinvestmeaningfullyingrowth,”hesays. “Concentrationinourtraditionalsectorsof manufacturing,agri-foodandconstruction leavespartsoftheeconomyparticularly sensitivetoglobalvolatility.”

HenotesthatforthesixNorther nIrish companies reportinggreaterthan£1bn revenueinFY24,theaverageincreasein revenuefromFY21toFY24was8.2%,while theaverageincreaseinoperatingprofitwas 13.4%.Theyhaveemergedfrom aperiodof uncertaintywithanemphasisonprofitable growthandoperatingprofitgrowingfaster than revenue.

“Soundstrategyandanabilitytoequip thebusinessfortheunknownhasenabled themtothriveinuncertainty,whileothers havestruggledtoadapttoanever-changing environment,”saysChris.

Deloitteisfirmlyoftheviewthebusinesses thatsucceedinthenextdecadewillnotsimply bethosethatarewellrun,butthosethatare strategicallywellpositioned.AisléanNicholson saysthefirmisseeing afargreaterdegreeof maturitywhenitcomestostrategyamongthe morethan100businessesonDeloitte’sallislandBestManagedCompaniesprogramme.

“There’saclearunderstandingamongst businessleadersthatuncertaintyisthenew normal,”saysAisléan.

“So,whatdoesthatmeanforbusinesses inNorther nIreland?Howdotheyplanahead inthatenvironment?Howdotheymake investmentdecisions?Andimportantly,inever competitivemarkets,whatisthecombination offactorsthatismostlikelytocontributeto growthaheadofthemarket?”

Strategicintent

ChrisNugenthasfoundanincreasing appreciationamongthecompaniesheworks within arangeofindustriesthatstrategyfor growthmustbebold,deliberate,measured, and reviewed regularly.

Overthepastfiveyears,operational disciplinehasbeenthedefiningfeatureof successfulfirms –particularlyinkeyindigenous sectors.Leaderswerefocusedoncostcontrol,

protectedcorerevenuesandnavigated uncertaintywithpragmatism.

“Thatplaybookworkedbecauseithadto. Butitisnot astrategyforgrowth,”saysChris. “Toomanyorganisations remainanchoredin incrementalism,doingbroadlythesamethings, slightlybettereachyear.Itisamindsetthat feelssafe,butin realityleavesfirmsexposed. Marketsevolve,competitorsadaptand customerexpectationsshift.

“Abusinesswithout aclearsetofstrategic choicesaboutwhereitwillcompete,how itwillwinandwhatitwillprioritiseisnot maintainingitsposition.Itisgraduallylosing it.”

Deloittehasthelargestinternational networkofanybusinessadvisoryfirminthe world,andspecialistswhobringbothlocal andglobalexperiencetoitsworkwithclients inNorther nIreland.Thefirmbringsanoptimal combinationofdata,insightandexperienceto clientorganisations.

“Strategyisnot aone-timething.Itisnow anongoingdiscipline –andatitscore,itis aboutmakingchoices,”saysChris.

“Businessesneedtomakesmartdecisions onwhattopursue,andcruciallywhatnot topursue,tosucceedandcreatevalue.In today’sfast-changingworld,therightchoices, madequicklyandcommunicatedclearly, helpcompaniesgrowandstaycompetitive. Deloitte’sstrategyexpertsuseindustry knowledgeandprovenmethodstohelp leadersmakebetterdecisions,create real value,andachievelastingsuccess.”

Deloitte’sapproachisclient-issueand industry-led,with afocusonmarketgrowth planning,commercialandcustomeranalysis, businessmodeldesign,andcritically,execution. Byutilising avastamountofproprietarydata andin-depthmarketinsights,theycanhelp localmanagementteamsmakeincreasingly confidentdecisions.

“Putsimply,it’sallaboutchoices –wehelp andchallengecompaniesacrossthe region tomakeinformeddecisionsforcompetitive advantage,”saysAisléan.

“Dotheyunderstandtheircompany’s

position?Aretheyintherightmarkets?Can theirofferingsucceedinthosemarkets?Do theyunderstandtheunderlyingshifts?Our roleistobringourexperiencetochallenge theirassumptions.Ultimately,thiscreates confidencetomakehardchoices,tonavigate decisionsbasedonrichdataandtomove forwardwith ahigherdegreeofcertainty.”

Whatdoesitmeantothrive?

DeloittesaysthatformanyNorther nIreland businesses,theconceptof“thriving” remains underdefined.Growthaloneisnottheanswer, norisscaleforitsownsake.

“Thrivingbusinessestendtoexhibita differentsetofcharacteristics,”saysChris. “Theypursue revenuethatisnotonlylarger, butmoreprofitableandmoresustainable. Theylookbeyondtheconstraintsofthe localmarket,buildingexportcapabilityand accessingnewcustomersegments.They differentiateonproduct,serviceorproposition ratherthancompetingprimarilyonprice.And theyaredeliberate.Theiroutcomesarethe resultofconsciouschoices,notfavourable circumstances.”

Chrissaysthisfocusisevidentfor indigenouscompaniesseekingtosettheir businessupforlongtermsustainablegrowth–particularlyintraditionalindustries.

Deloitteseescommoncharacteristicsinits strongestperformingclients:

⬤ In alessstableworld,nimblebeats optimal: Deloittehasdevelopedactionable strategiesforenergycompaniesnavigating rapidindustrytransformationto rebalance traditionalandnewmarkets.Around91% ofchiefstrategyofficers(CSO)surveyedfor Deloitte’sglobalCSOsurveycitedmacro volatilityasanimpactfulforce reshapingtheir organisation’spriorities.

⬤ Focuslooksbetterthanbreadth: Doublingdownonhighgrowthsegments andbeingboldtoplayorexit.Deloitte hassupportedfoodandagribusinessesin redesigningtheirbusinessmodelstocapture Europeanmarketopportunities –ensuring thatcapitaland resourcehave aclearerlink toprofitabilityand return.Reshapinggrowth focuswasthemostcitedstrategicpriorityfor CSOsin2026(CSOSurvey).

⬤ Buildorbuy: Deloitteclientsare sharpeningtheirportfoliosbydivestingfrom low-growthcategoriesthatdon’talignwith theirmorefocusedstrategyandacquiring high-growthbusinessesthatdo.Ithashelped clientsinindustrialproductsandconstruction firmsthroughmajorinvestmentdecisions backedbysoliddata –creatingcombined businessesthroughacquisitionandgreater shareholder return.

⬤ Artificialintelligence(AI)strategy iscorporatestrategy: NearlyhalfofCSOs surveyedbyDeloitteexpectagenticAIto

informexecutivedecisionmaking.Deloitte hasobservedleadingfoodandagriclients placingdigitalandAIatthecoreoftheir strategy –nolongersideagendasmanaged inisolation, reshapinghowcompanies competeandinnovate,allocatecapitaland makedecisions.

“Deloitte’sglobalCSO reportidentifies thatthehighest-performingleadersarethe oneswhomakestrategyanongoingfocus,” saysChris.“Thatstartswithmakingfewer, sharperstrategicchoices,thatarerevisited moreoften. We arehelpinglocalbusinesses applythatsameapproachsuccessfullyin Norther nIreland.”

Norther nIrelandbusinesseshave demonstratedadmirable resilience,but enduranceisnotthesameasambition,says Deloitte.

“Movingfromsurvivingtothriving requires ashiftinmindsetasmuchasin capability.Itmeanscreating realspacefor strategicthinkingandaction.Itmeans bringingexternalperspectivesintoleadership discussions.Anditmeanshavingthe confidencetomakedecisionsthatmaybe difficultintheshortterm,butnecessaryfor long-termsuccess,”saysAisléan.

“Thechallengeistoshapethefuture, ratherthansimply respondtoit.Thosethat dowilldefinethenextchapterofNorthern Ireland’seconomicstory.” ■

PopularBelfastcocktail barto be extended

ABelfastcocktailbarisplanninga majorextensiontomeetgrowing customerdemand,itcanbe revealed.

Orisha,locatedatFountainStreetinthecity centre,wantstoexpanditsfootprintintotwo neighbouringvacantunits,locatedbeside sisterpub Voodoo.

Theapplicationtoextendedithasbeenmade byCiaranSmyth,who recently reopenedthe PhoenixontheAntrimRoad –bringingbacka bardatingbacktothe1800s.

ThosebehindthenewplansforOrisha saytheexistingcocktailspotis“becoming increasinglyconstrainedduetothebar’s popularity”.

“Customernumbershavegrownsignificantly, andthecurrentfootprintnolongerprovides adequateseating,circulationspace,orwelfare facilities.

“Expansionisthereforeessentialtoensure safeoperation,maintainservicequality,and supportthebusiness’scontinuedsuccess.”

Orishasells arangeofdrinks,alongwithan extensivecocktailmenu,featuringmargaritas, Frenchmartinis,andtheOrisha,whichincludes malibu,spicedrum,peachschnapps,pineapple

juice,limejuice,andmango.

ThosebehindtheplansalsopointtoBelfast’s hostingoftheFleadhCheoilnahÉireannthis August –aneventwhichwilldrawtensof thousandsofpeopletothecity.

“Belfast’s hostingoftheFleadh2026will bringunprecedentedvisitornumbers,”itsays.

“Orishaisexpectedtoplay akey rolein hospitalityprovisionduringtheevent. Timely approvalisthereforecritical,andtheproposal shouldbefast-trackedtoensurethepremises arefullyoperationalinadvanceofthefestival.”

Thedevelopmentwouldincludethe extensionoftheexistingbarintoneighbouring unitsat15and17FountainStreet –with additionalseating,toilets,and anewaccessible entrance.

“Theadjoiningunitsat15and17Fountain Streetarecurrentlyvacant,under-utilised,and inneedofinvestment,”itsays.

“Theirinactivitydetractsfromthevibrancyof thestreetand represents amissedopportunity foreconomicandsocialcontribution.

“TheexistingOrishapremiseshavebecome increasinglyconstrainedduetothebar’s popularity.

“ThesitelieswithintheBelfastCityCentre ConservationArea,andthedesignhasbeen carefullydevelopedto respectthearchitectural

character,heritagevalue,andurbangrainof FountainStreetwhilesupportingthecouncil’s strategicobjectivesfor regeneration,economic growth,andactiveground-flooruses.”

Thosebehindthenewplanssaythearea towardsthewester nendofFountainStreetat CastleStreethas“experiencedcomparatively limited regenerationin recentyears”.

“Investmentinthislocationwilltherefore contributepositivelytoongoingandplanned regenerationefforts,helpingtostrengthenthe vibrancyandeconomic resilienceofthispartof thecitycentre.”

Thenewextensionwouldalsoincludefresh signage.

“Theproposedinvestmentbytheapplicantis especiallyimportant,”planssay.

“Theowneriswillingtoinvestin alocation wheremanyothershavebeen reluctantto doso,demonstratingconfidenceinthearea’s potentialandaligningwiththecouncil’s ambitionsto revitaliseCastleStreetasa vibrant,safeandcommerciallysustainablecity centrestreet.

“The reuseoftheseunitswillactas acatalyst forfurtheractivity,helpingtobuildmomentum for regenerationandcontributingtothe long-termtransformationofthispartofthe citycentre.” ■

‘

Youhavetolookafter yourstaf

first…ifyoudon’thavethem, youcan’t getthework done’

HenryBrosremainsoneofourleadingfamily-runconstructionfirms.It’s also afirm whichhashad along-runningfocusonitspeople,andtheenvironment.Director

IanHenry speaksto JohnMulgrew aboutwhyworkinginEnglandis afaster processthanhere,thecostimpactcausedbyongoingmacropoliticsandworld events,andwhythinkingaboutitsplaceinwidersocietyiskey

Itwon’tcomeas asurprisetomanyin

thebusinesscommunityhere thatthings getbuiltquickernotfarawayacrossthe IrishSea

“Englandisbusier,”IanHenrytellsme. “The workturnroundisquicker. We nothavea well-

establishedbusinessintheMidland,forthe last10years –webuiltthatupourselves,and didn’t buyanyoneout.”

TheHenryBrosdirector,whoalsoheadsup its Windellbusiness,sayswhilethings remain strongforthefamily-foundedbusiness –now inits50thyear– thatinputcostsandmaterials arecontinuingtorise,andthecurrentongoing politicalfluxintheMiddleEastisn’thelping.

Thefirmisjuststartedbuildingitsnew headquartersinMagherafelt–athreestorey buildingwhichwillholdsome60staffwhen

completed.Thecompanynowemploysaround 220people.

Itscorebusiness remainsinconstruction, withmanypublicsectorprojects –including studentschemesandaccommodation for universities,government,andother infrastructuredevelopments.

Attheendoflastyear,Queen’s University Belfast(QUB)announcedHenryBroshad beenselectedasthecontractortodelivera £37mexpansionin TitanicQuarter,withthat developmentnowwellunderway

ButIansays,typically,around80%ofits business remainselsewhere intheUK,primarily inEngland.

“Thisyearthatswungtoaround60%in GB,”hesays.“WehavehadtheQUB project andthenewDVA(testcentre)atMallusk.”

Lookingatexpansion,theRepublicisn’t a focusforthefirm.ButIansaysthereisgood growthopportunityinthenorthofEngland.

“Wedon’tdoanythinginthesouthatall.It’s notamarketweintendtogetinto…[thereare enoughfirms]init

“Weare concentratingmoreonthe Midlands –Manchesterhasgoodgrowth potential.Thereisgoodgrowthpotential on themainland.”

IansaysNorthernIrelandworkis“dictated bywhatgovernmentisgoingatanytimeofthe daywhichdoesn’thelpanyindustry”.

“Theydictatewhatcomesout,”hesays “Whatwehaveseenisthatifgovernment doesn’tspend,theprivatesectordoesn’t.We havetohelpthatwholecyclemoving.”

Forexample,inthecaseofnewschool tendersandworkhere,Iansaysthatcouldbe “inthesystem”forfivetoeightyears,with developmentsnowdripfeeding.

“Anyonewaitinginonthoseprojects back then[willhavehada]hardtimesittingon them,”hesays.

OntheongoingconflictintheMiddle East andtheUS’swarinIran,Iansaysfuelcost increaseshavebeennoticeable,alongwiththe abilitytogetitquickly

“InEngland,theyarestartingtoaskfortwo weeks’noticefordelivery –itusedtobe 24 hours,”hesays.

“Increasesinsteelandeverythingelse –

anythingwhichusespowertomakeit –that’s goingtocomedownthe road.

“There’snodoubtthatshippingcostswill soarthroughthe roofagain –weare bracing ourselves,anddon’tknowwhenitwillcome.

“Itcanhave aseriousimpactonprojects whichwerepriced ayearor18monthsago.”

AnotherimportantstrandtoHenryBros’ business –foundedbyIan’sfatherJimHenry in1976 –isitscommitmenttostaffwellbeing, theenvironment,anditsgeneralsocietal impact.

In2021,itwasgiventhetopgongat Businessin theCommunityNI’sResponsible Awards.Whilecorporatesocial responsibility wasalreadypartofthefirm’sagenda,it’s grownandevolvedsincethen.HenryBros remains apartnerandkeysponsorofthe annualawards,withentriesopenuntilthestart ofMay

ItstartedwithHenryBrosturningits attentiontoitsowncarbonandenvironmental footprint.

“Westartedkeeping records2014andhave been atitfor awhile,andweweredoingit before then,”Iansays..

“Weneededtologandunderstandwhatwe weredoing,then reactandbenchmarkfrom there…usingthattodevelopourplan.

“Welaunchedourjourneytonetzerofive yearsago,andwearenowbringingthatupto dateforthenextfiveyears.

“[Ourplan]isanever-changingdocument, andwetakeitveryseriously,thatwecanstand over.”

Iansaysoneofthechangeswasmovingto electricandhybridvehicles.

Butsincethen,thathasevolvedintohow

thebusiness,anditssites,operate –witha particularfocusonitscarbonemissions,inan industrywhichhesaysis“oneofthehighest burners”.

Thatincludesdoingmoreonsite,building materials,buying“sensiblyandmorally”,and workingcloselywithclients.

“Werunhybridgenerators,withsolarpower –greenenergyfeedingbackintothesystem,” hesays.

“Wehaveecocabinsonsitewithallthe modcorns –sensors,heatingelements,and double-glazing.”

As afamilybusiness,Iansaysitalwayswants to“bringpeoplewithus”.

“Workingwiththemandgivingthemthe bestwork/lifebalancewecan,”hesays.“In construction,thatcanbethehardestsectorto achievethat,butit’ssomethingwesetoutearly onwithmyfatherrunningthebusiness.

“Youhavetolookafteryouremployees beforeanyone.Ifyoudon’thavethem,you can’tgettheworkdone.”

Inthecommunity,HenryBrosisalsodeeplyrooted –fromapprenticeships,involvement withschoolsandsponsoringschemes,site visits,andcharitablework.

Iansayscompanieswhoaren’tthinkingwith themindset“willbecaughtout”.

“Clientsmaystopaskingyoubidorstop workingwithyou,”hesays.“Youwon’tbeon atenderlistunless[thingslike]corporatesocial responsibilityand[reducing]CO2isunderone roof.

“Employeesalsonowexpect alotmorefrom businessesandemployers.Ifyouaren’tdoing thatpiecenow,youmightnothavelotsof peoplewantingtoworkforyou.” ■

TheMiddleMatters... butwho’s actually listening?

DarrenMcDowell,HMCharteredAccountants

There’sa partofoureconomythat doesn’tshout.Itdoesn’tchase headlines.Itdoesn’t makethefront pages,anditrarelygetsinvitedintothe roomswheredecisionsaremade.But withoutit,thewholesystemwouldstall.

I’mtalkingaboutNorthernIreland’smidsizedbusinesses.Broadlythosebusinesses withfewerthan250employees,andupto £50minturnover.Although relativelysmallin number,thesefirmsmake adisproportionate contributiontoemployment, regionalsupply chainsandlocaleconomic resilience.Mediumsizedfirmsemployaround101,000peoplein NorthernIreland, representing roughly17% ofprivate-sectoremployment –asizeable economiccontributionfrom arelativelysmall groupoffirms.

AtHMCharteredAccountants,we’ve workedalongsidethesebusinessesforyears. We’veseentheir resilience,butwe’vealsoseen agrowingdisconnectbetweentheirrealityand thesystemaroundthem. That’swhywecreated MiddleMatters.

We’vebroughttogether acohortofmidsizedbusinessesfromacrossNorthernIreland. Overthecourseof2026,wewillmeetwith themquarterly.Notforsurface-leveldiscussion butforhonest,ongoinginsightintowhatit takestooperateinthisspacetoday. During ourdiscussionitwasveryclear:thereisa conversationthatneedstohappen,andit needstogobeyondthe room.

Whenever Iengagewithbusinessesin thisfield,I’mconsistentlyimpressedbytheir attitude–it’strulyinspiringtospendtimewith suchentrepreneurialleaders.

Ourfirstmeetingexploredamongstother topicstheattendees’views ontheirgrowth expectations,thechallengestheyface,andthe widerpolicyenvironment. We setoutbelow someofthethemesthatemergedfromthefirst

roundtableevent.Thequotesyou readinthis articleallcomefromthemid-sizebusinesses whotookpartandarenamedbelow.Our sincerethanksgotothemfortheirtime,their inputandtheirwillingnesstobeinvolvedto makechange.

AnneO’Reilly

Directorandheadofbusiness,O’Reilly Wholesale

BridgeneKeeley

Directorofsalesandmarketing, McKeeverHotelGroup

CarolFitzsimons

Chiefexecutive, YoungEnterpriseNI

ColinConway

Managingdirector,NewellStores

PeterDuncan

Financedirector,MulgrewHaulage

PeterDunlop

Chiefexecutive,Bathshack

ShelleyMartin

Owner,4BeautyGroup

Thequietenginecarryingtheload

Theseare thebusinessesemployinghundreds ofpeople. Turningovermillionsofpounds, makingdecisionseverysingledaythat directlyaffectfamilies,communities,and localeconomiesandyet,theysitinan uncomfortablespace. “We’retoobigtobe small…andtoosmalltobeanythingelse.” ThatlinecameupearlyinourfirstMiddle Matters roundtable,anditsetthetonefor everythingthatfollowed.Becauseit’snotjusta feelingit’sthe reality.Toobigforsmallbusiness support,toosmalltoinfluencepolicyand thereforetheyarepresentedwithchallenges whencompetingwithlargerplayers.

Whatgrowth reallylookslike

We’vebecomeconditionedtocelebrate oneversionofsuccess. We oftencelebrate

somethingthatisfast,scalableand exponential.Butthat’snotwhatmostofour economylookslike.

“Don’tunderplaytheimportanceof businessesmakingsteady,reasonablegrowth.” That’swherethe realeconomicvaluesits,not inspikes,butinconsistency. Inbusinessesthat showup,employpeople,andkeep going –evenwhentheenvironmentaroundthem becomeshardertonavigate.

Theonline realitycheck

There’sagrowing recognitionthatnotevery solutionisassimpleasitsounds. Takedigital, whichisoftenpositionedasthegreatgrowth opportunity,butthe realityisfarmorecomplex asoutlinedinthesequotes:

“Ifyoudon’thavesufficientmarginonline, forgetit.”

“Wedoubledthebusinessonlineduring Covid –thenlosthalfofitagain.”

Andperhapsmosttelling:“Thewider experienceismoreimportantthanjust hittingonlinesalestargets.”Theimportance anduniquesellingpointofdirectcustomer engagementwashighlighted.

Thisisnot agroupofbusinesseslacking awareness.It’sagroupdealingwiththe realworldlimitationsofhowmodernmarkets operate.

Thevoicethatisn’tthere

Oneofthemostconsistentthemesfromthe discussionwas representationorlackofit.

“Thebigmulti-nationalshave avoice,and,in themiddle,wedon’t.”

Thatmattersbecausepolicydecisionsare beingshaped,butnotalwaysbythoseliving withtheconsequences.Otherquotes resonated withthistheme:

“It’sexhaustingknockingonmultipledoors.” “Wedon’tthinkwe’reeligible,orwedon’t evenknowwheretogo.”

“Evenwhensupportexists,it’softenoutof reach.”

“Notmanybusinessescanpay30%upfront justtoaccess agrant.”

Sotheydon’tengageandthegapwidens.

Theweightof responsibility

Whatstruckmemostwasn’tjustthe commercialpressure.It wasthehumanweight behindit

“Allyourdecisionsaffect280people.”

Thatchangeshowyouthinkaboutgrowth. This isn’t aboutchasingscaleforthesakeofit. It’s about responsibility.Doyoupushforward–ordoyouprotectwhatyou’vebuilt?

People,cultureandwhat reallymatters Andyet,despiteallofthis,thesebusinesses continuetoinvestintheirpeople,intraining andinculture.

“Webroughtback97%ofourteamafter Covid.”

“Cultureisn’tsomethingwrittenonthewall –it’severymicromoment.”

“From aprofitabilityperspective,itmakes senseto retainandtrainthepeopleyouhave.”

Thesearenotbusinessescuttingcorners. Theyarebuildingcapability –oftenwithoutthe recognitionorsupporttheydeserve.

Morethanbusiness

Therewasanotherpowerfulthreadrunning throughtheconversation.The rolethese businessesplaybeyondthenumbers.

“Abusinessisn’tjust abusiness –it’spartof thefabricoftheeconomy.”

“We’retheoneskeepingtowns,villagesand citiesalive.”

Thesearetheorganisationscreating opportunitiesforpeoplewhomaynotfitinto traditionalpathways.Providingcareersand buildingcommunities.Thesearethingsthat don’tshowupon abalancesheet –butmatter deeply

Fromconversationtochange

Thisisn’tjustaboutdiscussion,it’sabout direction.Overthecourseoftheyear,we

willbuild abodyofinsightgroundedin real businessexperience.Attheendofthatprocess, ourintentionisclear:totakethatinsight directlytopolicymakers. To ensurethevoiceof themiddleisnotjustheardbutunderstoodand ultimately,toinfluencechange.

We’realsopleasedtobeworkingalongside SimonHamiltonfromConfluence,bringingan addedlayerofstrategicandpolicyperspective tothiswork.Becauseifwe’reseriousabout unlockingthepotentialofthispartofthe economy,itmusttranslateintoaction.

Ouracademicpartners,UlsterUniversitywill beusingthefeedbackfromourdiscussions overthecourseof2026tocompile alarger pieceof researchthatcanbesharedwithpolicy makersandbusiness. Ahugethanksmustalso gotoDrIanSmythandDrJudith Woodsfor theircontinuedsupport.

Afinalword

Themiddledoesnotneedspecialtreatment, butitdoesneedattention.Rightnow,too manyofthesebusinessesfeelasthoughthey areoperatinginnoman’sland –andthatisnot wherethebackboneofaneconomyshouldbe.

Getinvolved

Ifyou’rerunning amid-sizedbusinessin NorthernIrelandandthis resonates;wewant tohearfromyou.TheMightyMiddleisabout building aclear,collectivevoicegroundedin realexperienceandensuringit reachesthe peoplewhocanmake adifference.

We’llbecontinuingtoshapethecohort overthecomingmonths,andtherewill beopportunitiestocontributetofuture discussions. ■

Ifyou’dliketobepartofit,contactme directlyatHMCharteredAccountants darren@hm-accountants.com

Boglands thebattleground for Irish‘energy-park’ revolution

TensofthousandsofacresofBordnaMóna-runboglandinmidlands andwestnowprimeareasfordevelopment,writes JohnReynolds

BordnaMóna(BnM)lookstobe primedtobecomethemajorplayer in apotentialradicaltransformation ofswathesofthemidlandsinIreland underpoliciesbeingdrawnupto combinewindfarms,datacentresand manufacturingfacilitiesinso-called ‘energy-parks’.

Tensofthousandsofacresofstate-owned boglandinthemidlandsandwestofthe countrycurrentlymanagedbytheState’sonetimeturf-harvestingarmarenowprimeareas forpotentialdevelopment,aninvestigationby theSundayIndependentcan reveal.

Astrategytodeveloptheparkscould alsobetransformativeforBnM’sbusiness aswellasthewider regionandwouldalign withgovernmentpolicytosupport regional developmentandthegrowthofdatacentres, pharmaceuticals,semiconductorsandother advancedmanufacturingoutsideofDublin.

Thisnewspaperhasobtained a190-page reportonenergyparksandtheirpotential commissionedlastyearbytheDepartmentof EnterprisefromDublinconsultancyGDG.

Thecoreofthestrategyistoco-locatelargescale,energy-hungry,industriesimmediately besidewindandsolarfarmsonbiglandbanks thathaveaccesstothenationalgridand abundantwater.

The reportsetsouthoweachparkcould potentiallycreate€3bnofvalueandupto 3,400full-timejobs.Around€1.2bnwouldbe spentondevelopmentandabout10,000fulltimeequivalentjobswouldbecreatedduring

theconstructionphase,the reportstates.

The“potentialanchortenant”inthe“fully developedscenario”foreachenergypark wouldbe a500MWdatacentre,the report states.

Theparkswouldhavetocomplywitha CommissionforRegulationofUtilities(CRU) decisionthat requiresdatacentresbecolocatedwithboth renewableandbackuppower generationcapacity.

Theenergy regulator’spolicygivesdata centressixyearsinwhichtheymust reduce their relianceongaspowerto20%.

AspokesmanforBnMsaidcharacterisingany sitesbesidesDerrygreenagh,whereitisknown tobeworkingwithAmazonon adatacentre scheme,aspotentialdatacentrelocations,was speculativeandinaccurate.

However,ouranalysisofBnM’s 80,000-hectarelandbankshowsfivemore potentialsitesinKildare,Offaly,Meath, Westmeath,Longford,RoscommonandMayo thatcloselymatchtheprofileintheGDC report.

BnMandAmazonarealreadyworkingwith Eirgrid,theIDA,andOffalyCountyCouncilon planstobuild adatacentreatDerrygreenagh, CoOffaly.

Accordingtothegovernment report, theenergyparkconceptenvisagesthata pharmaceuticalorotheradvancedindustry factory requiring100MWofpowerwouldalso belocatedineachscheme.

Thecombined renewableenergycapacity wouldbeaboutdoubletheindustrydemand, accordingtothe report.

BnMheadof renewablesJohnReilly describedthecompany’sapproachtoan OireachtascommitteehearinginJanuary.

“Ourlandbankincludesformerindustrial sitesanddisusedrailcorridorssuitedto essentialinfrastructure.

“ThiscouldbegroundbreakingforIreland Incandthemidlands,”hesaid,addingthat BnMisinvesting€2.7bntodevelop5GWof renewablepoweracrossthe regions.

AbusinessmodelthatBnMcouldemulate isthatof adivisionofEnergiaGroup.Its HuntstownsiteinDublincombinesgasand wind-powergenerationwith aco-locateddata centre.

BasedonbothEnergiafiguresandother industrydata,BnMcouldear natleast€400m ayearfromDerrygreenaghaloneinaddition toaround€85m ayearincapacitypayments. Fourmoresiteswouldbring€2bninannual revenue,generating asubstantialdividendto theState.

Ahigh-levelsourcefamiliarwiththeBnM planssaidthatlong-durationbatterystorage haspotentialtotakeupmoreofthecapacity. USiron-airbatterytechfirmFormEnergylast monthsigned adealtodevelopitsfirstIrish 10MWprojectinCoDonegal,thoughnotwith BnM.

Backhome,theenergyparksmodelhas applicationbeyondthemidlands.

Thepotentiallylargestsinglesiteisat BellacorrickinCoMayo.AnoldESBpower stationand awindfarmthatisduetobe repoweredwithnewturbinesprovidesan

existinggridconnectionthatisessentialforan energypark,butthegriditselfisconstrained here,thegovernment reportsays.

NorthoftheN59andwestoftheOweninny River,thereare existingservicetracksinplace forthewindfarm,and aswatheofexhausted boglandnearby.

Eastofthere,aroundLanesboroughand Mountdillon,besidetheoldLoughRee PowerStation,thereisalargeexpanseof boglandstraddlingtheRiverShannonandthe Longford-Roscommoncountyborder.Existing gridinfrastructureisstronghere,accordingto thegovernment report.

Wateravailabilityis akeyinfrastructure requirementforenergyparks.

BnMhaspreviouslypilotedfishfarming onanexhaustedmidlandsbogsite. Asource familiarwiththeplanssaidparkswouldhave amplelandtousedatacentres’wasteheatto warmfishpondsandgreenhousesforfood productionand aCoilltetreenursery.

Thenextpotentialenergyparksiteour analysisfoundissouthofLanesborough,

downstreamalongtheShannonwhereatleast 3,000hectaresofexhaustedboglandstraddles theriverandtheGalway-Offalyborderat Shannonbridge.Again,anexistingpower stationandbatterystoragefacilityprovides accesstothenationalgrid.

FurthereastalongtheM4,oneofthetwo BnMsitesclosesttoDublinstraddlestheR156 andtheMeath-Westmeathborder.Itincludes around1,500hectaresofboglandnear Ballivor.

Thelastsitewithstrongpotentialmatching theenergy-parkmodelidentifiedbyour analysisistheclosesttoDublinontheKildareOffalyborder,south-eastofEdenderry.

Anyeffortsto rolloutdatacentresin particularishighlysensitive –theirheavy powerusageisseenaswastefulbymanyeven thoughtheyareacornerstoneofmodern economies.

Recently,threeenvironmentalgroupslodged anapplicationfor ajudicial reviewofthe CRUdecisionthat requiresdatacentrestobe co-locatedwithboth renewableandbackup

powergeneration.

Anyenvironmentalimpactonbogsandthe surroundingcountrysideisalsolikelytoraise planningconcerns.

Theimpactdatacentreshaveonelectricity bills,gridandpowerthatisalsoneededfor housingandotherusesalsocontinuesto provokeplentyofpublicdebate.

However,thegovernment’sCritical InfrastructureBill,givestheGovernmentpower todesignatepriorityprojects –includingenergy infrastructure.

Itcompelsallpublicbodiestodedicate resourcestofast-trackingtheirapproval.This couldbenefitdatacentresseekingtolocatein energyparks.

At atimeofrisingruralangerseenin the recentfuelprotests,tensionsaround infrastructurecanflareup,butthatcould besetagainstthepotentialforjobsand industrialisationin regionsthathavebeen hardhitbytheendofBnM’slarge-scalepeat extractionandtheclosureofpeatfiredpower stations. ■

PeterThompson,ownerof Flout!,athisnewDonegall Streetrestaurant

‘ThisisLittleBelfast-style’: Ownerofcultpizzajointserving upnewshop forthecitycentre

Almost100,000pizzasliceslater,the manbehind aglobally-acclaimed restaurantisbringinghisown tasteof“LittleBelfast”tothecitycentre.

PeterThompsonistheownerandfounder ofFlout! —apizza-by-the-slicebusinessbased ineastBelfastwhichmade alotofnoise online,withpicturesshowinglongqueuesout thedoor.Somepeopleevenrateitamongthe bestintheworld.

Flout!isopeningitsnewventureandbringing‘Little Belfast’tothecity, writes JohnMulgrew

Now, fouryearsafteropeningitsdoors, Peterisabouttolaunchhislatestventure—a newFlout!shopinDonegallStreet,whichis fromMoira’sIspiniandhothoney.

“We’vebeentradingatPortview Trade CentreontheNewtownardsRoadforfour years,”hetoldthisnewspaper.

“It’sanamazingspot,it’swherewe’ve grown,butinordertoprogressthebusiness, we’relookingforsomewheretogrow. Slice shopsneedfootfall.”

AndwhileFlout!takesinspirationfromthe USforitsvarietiessoldbytheslice,Petersays thisis“LittleBelfastpizza”.

“WefocusoneastcoastAmericanstyles, but Idon’tbelieveauthenticitycanbe replicated,sowedon’tmakeauthenticNew York,Detroit,orSicilian. We makethemin LittleBelfaststyles,with atwistofourown.It’s hyper-localingredients. We don’timportany nowopen.

Flout!’sslicesincludetheSpicyKing —a Detroit-styledeep-pantoppedwithpepperoni

flour,andit’sallsourdough.”

ForPeter,it’saboutproducingBelfast-style pizza,takinginspirationfromelsewhere,but usinglocalingredientsand‘flouting’therules —theoriginoftheshop’sname.

Flout!hasalsobeennamedasoneof Ireland’stop100restaurants.

ButPetersayshe“doesn’tbelievethere’sa bestofanythinginfood”.

“Peoplehavefavourites,andforallthose whoaresayinggoodthingsaboutus,youcan probablyfindthosenotsayinggoodthings.

“Andthat’s OK.TheonlythingI’mfocused onismakingthebestthingwepossiblycan. Theteamareasdedicatedas Iam.”

Peter’shopeforthenewspotisthatwith theUlsterUniversitycampuscloseby,and beingontheedgeofthebusyCathedral Quarter,itwillhelpdrivefootfall.

Insidethenewshop,whichhasbeenfitted outbyBelfast-basedCarters Workshop,it’sa combinationofnewandold.

Someofthewoodpanellingdatesbackto the1850sandwasoncepartoftheKing’s Hall,whilestoolsweresalvagedfromthe

formerHarland &Wolffdrawingoffices,where the Titanicwasdesigned.

Peteraddsthatit’sagroupeffort —hehas ateamofeight —withfurther recruitment underwayforthenewshop.

Andfinancially,heisdoingthisallonhis own.

“Starting asliceshopineastBelfastmakes nobusinesssense,whatsoever —thereisn’ta passingfootfall.

“Aswegrew,morecustomerscame.But thereisn’tabusinesscaseoutsideofthatfor theLowerNewtownardsRoad,aswedon’t havethefootfall.Thisis adifferentstory.We areaimingforlongeropeninghoursandmore days.

“Moneyisverydifficulttocomebythese days. Iamalmostbrokebuildingthisplaceout. It’sachicken-and-eggsituation.

“Thisis100%me.Everypennythatthe businesshasmadehasgoneintothis,andit’s takenmoreuponthat.I’veneverbeenable topaymyselfinfouryears,which Ican’tdo anymore.

“Ihaveanamazingteam,theyareso

talented.It’sanopportunitytokickonand buildsomethingforus,formyfamily,for them,andhopefully alittlebitofBelfastas well.”

Whileotherfoodbusinessesaimfor scaleandexpansion,Peter,whois aformer advertisingexecutive,saysthat’snotonthe agenda,andhistimeinthecorporateworld hasshapedhisoutlook.

“Idon’twant afinancialpressureonme whichchangeshowwedothingsordiluteour product.

“If Ihadbeenfocusedoncommerciality, as Ishouldhavebeen,weshouldhavegrown outofPortviewbeforenowandopened elsewhere.

“It’simportantformetofeelfulfilment.I’ve workedinthecorporateworldbeforeandI wasdoinggoodjobsthat Ienjoyed… Idon’t wanttotakethejoyoutofit.

“Iworkedinadvertisingandhavea marketingbackground.Thethingsthat attractedme,andthethingsthat Iknoware mostpowerful —ifyouaretheblacksheep, thenthatisinteresting.”■

It’s wrongto assume that jobqualityis theenemyof jobcreation

Realchoiceisbetweendifferentmodelsofeconomic organisationandtheoutcomestheyproduceovertime, writes DrLisa Wilson senioreconomistattheNevin EconomicResearchInstitute

Recently,anumberofbusiness organisationswrotetotheEconomy Ministercallingfor adelayto theproposedGoodJobsBill,citing concernsaboutitspotentialimpacton employmentandarguingthatnowisnot theappropriatetimetoproceed.

Atthecentre ofthispositionis afamiliar assumptioninlabourmarketdebate:that improvementsinjobqualitynecessarilycome attheexpenseofjobcreation.Whileintuitively appealing,thisassumptionisnotstrongly supportedbythewiderevidenceonlabour market regulation.

Italsoshapeshowpolicytimingis understood.Ifemploymenteffectsare assumedtobenegative,thenperiodsof economicuncertaintycanbeusedtojustify postponement.Inthatcontext,thequestionof timingbecomeslessaboutempiricalevidence andmoreaboutperceivedrisk.

Thisraises abroaderissue:underwhat conditionswoulditeverbe consideredthe righttimetointroducemeasuresdesignedto

improvejobquality?

Whenlabourmarketconditionswere exceptionallytight,itwasarguedthat strongerstandardswereunnecessarybecause employerswerealreadyprovidinggoodjobs. Asconditionshaveshiftedinsomesectors,the argumenthasbecomethat reformwouldbe too disruptiveorwouldthreatenemployment. Ifreformisalwayscontingentonfavourable conditions,itrisksbeingindefinitelydeferred Overthepasttwodecades,economic conditionshaverarelybeenstable.Recovery periodshavebeeninterruptedbysuccessive shocks,includingtheglobalfinancialcrisis, austerity,Brexit,theCovid-19pandemic, andongoinggeopoliticalinstabilityaffecting energyandtrademarkets.Furtherinternational conflictrisks reinforcingthisvolatility,with implicationsforinflationandgrowthacross advancedeconomies,includingNorther n Ireland.

Againstthisbackdrop,thedistinction betweenjobquantityandjobqualityisoften framedasa trade-off.However,thisframing

isincreasinglydifficulttosustain.The relevant questionisnotwhethereconomiesmust choosebetweenmorejobsorbetterjobs,but howtheinstitutionalframeworkofthelabour marketshapesthepossibilityofachievingboth.

Norther nIreland’sProgrammefor Government recognisesthateconomic performancedependsonboththequantityand qualityofemployment.TheDepartmentfor theEconomy’seconomicvisionsimilarlyplaces theGoodJobsagendaalongsideproductivity, regionalbalance,anddecarbonisationas coreobjectives.

Thereisalso atendencyinpolicydiscussion toassumethatstrongeremployment regulation willnecessarily reducejobnumbers.However, theempiricalevidencedoesnotsupportthis view.Comparativelabourmarket research, includingOECDand relatedinternational analysisofminimumwages,employment protections,andworkingtime regulation, consistentlyfindslittletonosystematic negativeeffectonaggregateemployment when reformsareintroducedgraduallyand

withinstableinstitutionalframeworks.

Thismattersbecauseit reframes acentral aspectofthedebate.Ifemploymentlevels arenotadverselyaffectedinaggregate,then argumentsfordelaying reformonthebasis ofjoblossesbecomesignificantlyweaker

Whatisoftenlessvisibleinthisdiscussion isthe roleoflabourstandardsinshaping howcompetitionoperateswithinthe economy.Labourmarketoutcomesare notdeterminedsolelybyindividualfirm decisions,butbytheinstitutionalrulesand

Predictabilityof hours, incomestability, andsomedegreeof controloverworking timeareconsistently identifiedasimportant featuresofjobquality

normsthatstructurecompetitivebehaviour acrossfirms.

Wherestandardsareweakoruneven, competitivepressureismorelikelytobe expressedthroughlowerlabourcostsand greater relianceoninsecureformsofwork, ratherthanthroughimprovementsin productivityororganisationalcapability.Inthis sense,labourstandardsfunctionaspartofthe frameworkthatgovernsadjustmentwithinthe economy,ratherthanasanexternalconstraint uponit.

Theimplicationsofthisextendbeyond individualemployment relationships.Persistent insecurity,highturnover,andlimitedworker voiceareassociatedwithweakerlabourmarket performanceovertime. Amodelthat relies heavilyonlow-paidandinsecureemployment isunlikelytodeliversustainedproductivity growth,andthishasbeen reflectedintheUK’s performance,includinginNorther nIreland. Workers’preferencesinthiscontextare also oftenmischaracterised.Predictabilityof hours,incomestability,andsomedegreeof

controloverworkingtimeareconsistently identifiedasimportantfeaturesofjob quality.Contractualarrangementsthat reflect actualworkingpatternsmoreaccuratelycan thereforeplayaroleinstabilisingemployment relationshipswhereworkis regularand ongoing.

Inthissense,debatesaroundinstruments suchasbandedhourscontractsarenotsolely aboutflexibility,butabouttheextenttowhich employment relationships reflect realworking patternsin amorestableandtransparentform. Norther nIreland’slabourmarketwill continuetoevolve,withsectorsexpandingand contractingovertime.However,thiscyclical variationdoesnotinitselfprovide arationale forpostponingquestionsofjobquality

Themorefundamentalissueishowthe institutionaldesignofthelabourmarketshapes bothemploymentoutcomesandthenature ofcompetition.Thechoiceisnotbetweenjob creationandjobquality,butbetweendifferent modelsofeconomicorganisation —andthe outcomestheyproduceovertime. ■

Business bloomingfor Tyrone dafodil farmers: ‘Wesend

flowers to theUS, NewZealand, evenSouth Korea’

JadeBeecroft meetsthe one-timenovicegrowers whoturned ahobbyinto acareer

Nothingheraldsspringquitelikea hostofgoldendaffodils,andon oneCo Tyronefamilyfarm,it’s showtime.

DaveandJulesHardygrowmorethan800 varietiesofspecialistdaffodils,andduringtheir busyspringseason,theyexhibitandcompete atflowershowseveryweekend.

Whatbeganas ahobbyforgardening enthusiastDavehasblossomedinto athriving, full-timebusiness,withEskerFarmsendingits bulbsaroundtheworld.

Sincelaunchingthisyear’srangeonSt Patrick’sDay,thecouplehavebeeninundated withorders,andthesummer’sbulbharvestwill be arealfamilyaffair,withkidsTheo(15)and 12-year-oldtwinsJamesand Lynnealendinga hand.

Davehasalreadywonanawardthisyear,for bestminiatureattheRHSdaffodilcompetition atRHSRosemoorinMarch.

“Everyonelovesdaffodils.They’rethefirst realsignthatspringisontheway,”hesays.

“It’sthatbitofbrightnessandcolourthat signalsnewlifeafterthelongwinter.”

Jules,fromDromore,andDave,fromBolton, metatteachertrainingcollegeintheLake District.

Whenthenow47-year-oldsmovedback toNorther nIrelandin2005totakeupposts asprimaryschoolteachers,Jules’fathergave them apatchoflandontheirfamily’soutlying farm —originallyboughtbyJules’sgrandfather —tobuild ahouse.

Initially,theydidn’thave agarden,butafter appearingintheTVshowGetUpandGrow in2009,Davebecameinterestedinplantsand joinedtheFermanaghGardeningSociety.

In2010,heagreedto representtheclubat theNIDaffodilGroup’slectureoftheyear.

“WhenJulescametopickmeup, Icouldn’t stoptalking,”hesays.

“Iwassayingthingslike,‘Didyouknowthat notalldaffodilsareyellow?’Itwasdefinitelya longcarjourneyhomeforJules.

“Theverynextday,IcontactedNial Watson fromRinghaddyDaffodils,whowastheonly commercialgrowerofdaffsinNorther nIreland atthetime,andtoldhim Iwantedsomebulbs so IcouldentertheFermanaghSpringFlower Show.

“Hesentme abeginnerpackof10,andI hidthe receiptfromJulesbecausetheywere £40.

“TheywentintothegroundinNovember,

whichisprettylate,butthefollowingspring, Iwonthebestnovicebloomawardatthe show.”

AsDave’spassiongrew,hevisitedflower showsacrosstheUKandEuropeandbegan plantingthefieldbehindtheirhouseasa daffodilbed.Healsostartedcross-breedinghis ownvarieties.

“MyfirsthybridwascalledLunaLove,after Lynnea’sfavouritecharacterinHarryPotter,” hesays.

“Wealsostartedproducingourownbasic catalogueandsellingbulbslocally.”

In2016,at ashowinLondon,Davewas exhibitingatthetablenexttoRinghaddy DaffodilswhenNial Watsonaskediftheycould grab acoffee.

“Heexplainedhewantedto retireandwas lookingfor abuyerforhiscollection,”he recalls.

“HehadIrishvarietiesdatingbacktothe

late1800s.Hiscataloguewassoimportantto theIrishdaffodillegacy.”

DavewastravellingstraightfromLondon to aflowershowinAmsterdam,sooverthe followingdays,heandJulesdiscussedthe opportunityonthephone.

Jules recalls:“ItwasmydadFredwho helpedmakethedecision.Hewasincredibly life-smartandastute.

“Hesaidtome,‘Well,thereisonething that’sforsure:ifyoudon’ttry,itdefinitely won’twork’,sowedecidedtotakethe plunge. We boughttheRinghaddystockand broughtittothefarm.”

Forthefirstcoupleofyears,itwas“very much ajugglingact”,butby2019,Davewas abletoleavehisteachingjobandcommitto buildingthebusinessfull-time.

EskerFarmnowlaunches acropofmore than260varietiesofsnowdropsonNew Year’s Daywhichare sold‘inthegreen’ —meaning thebulbsaregrowingratherthandormant.

Thisisfollowedbytheannuallaunchofthe daffodilcatalogueonMarch17.Ordersare takenthroughthespringandsummer,while thebulbsarestillintheground,thenpackaged andsentout, readytobeplantedbycustomers intheautumn.

“Wesellourbulbsindividuallybecausethey arespecialistandunusualvarieties,”saysDave.

“Manyofourbuyerswanttogrowpedigree bloomsforexhibitionsandshows.

“Wedohaveplentyofcustomerswhojust wantsomething abitdifferenttoenjoyintheir backgardensthough.”

The2026cropiscurrentlyinfullbloom, butbyJulythefamilyhastodigoutbetween 85,000and90,000bulbsbyhand.

“Luckily,itcoincideswiththeschool holidays,soI’moffworkandthekidsallgeta job,”saysJules.

“Thedigging,cleaning,dryingandbagging isalldonebyhandtoensurethereare nomixupswiththebulbs.

“Thecataloguestaysonlineuntilthe AugustBankHoliday,andtheninSeptember weposteverythingout. We havecustomers asfarawayasAmerica,Canada,New Zealand,JapanandSouthKorea.”

DaveisalsochairmanoftheRHSBulb ExpertGroup,andearlierthisweekhe hosteddelegatesfromtheRHSatthe FermanaghGardenSociety’sspringshow. HeissettocompeteinLondonand Harrogateinthecomingweeks.

Whenitcomestogrowinggreatdaffs, Davehasthisadvice:“Norther nIrelandcan beverywet,soifyourgardengetswaterlogged,dig abitofgritthroughthesoil beforeplantingyourbulbstohelpwiththe drainage.

“Afterthegrowingseason,dead-head theflowersbutleavethestemstodieback naturally.Thestemsarelikethesolarpanels forthebulb,whichislikethebattery,storing upalltheenergyfornextyear’sflowers.” ■

RoisinGallagherasSaoirse, CaoilfhionnDunneasDara,and SineadKeenanasRobyninHow To GetToHeavenFromBelfast

NIScreen-backedproductions ‘generated nearly £500m fortheeconomyinfour years’

MargaretCanning

MovieslikeHowto Train Your DragonandTVshowssuchasBlue Lightshavegeneratedover£477m fortheeconomyoverjustfouryears,ithas beenclaimed.

NorthernIrelandScreen,fundedbythe EconomyandCommunitiesdepartmentsand theUK’sDepartmentforCulture,Mediaand Sport,saidthesumhadbeaten atargetof £442m.

Thefigureswereannouncedatthelaunchof itsnewstrategy,TheFullPicture.

NIScreen,whichfundsTVandmovie productions,saidthefour-yearplanwouldbuild onthepreviousstrategy’seconomicimpact, sustainedskillsdevelopmentandinternational recognition

EconomyMinisterDrCaoimheArchibald said:“Thescreensectorisdelivering real economicimpact,generatingmore than £477mforthelocaleconomyinjustfour years,supportinghigh-valueemployment, skillsdevelopment,attractinginternational investmentandstrengtheningourglobal competitiveness.

“Manyofuswillbefamiliarwiththe productionssupportedby NorthernIreland

NicoParkerand MasonThames inHow ToTrain YourDragon

Screen. We canberightlyproudofthe rolewe playontheglobalstage.”

Since2022,NIScreenhassupported productionsincludingDerryGirls,Howto Train YourDragon,Lift,HowtoGettoHeavenfrom Belfast,BlueLights,and AKnightoftheSeven Kingdoms.Projectssecuredmorethan100 awardwinsacrosstheAcademy Awards,Baftas, Emmys, RTSAwards,andBroadcast Awards.

RichardW illiams,chiefexecutiveofNorthern IrelandScreen,saidthe resultsfromthelast strategyshowwhatthesectorcanachieve.

“Despiteextremelychallengingmarket conditions,weexceededourtarget,delivering

morethan£477mforthelocaleconomy.

“Thesectorhasalsodelivered astreamof hitsacrossthelastfouryears,growingthe international relevanceofthesectorwhile ourskillsactivitiesmeanwe’reconstantly replenishingtheworkforce.”

Mr Williamssaidthenewstrategysetsoutan exciting,ambitiousplanforthenextfouryears, whilelookingaheadtothe“nextchapterfor NorthernIreland”.

Hesaid:“Wedon’tjustmeanourscreen industry.We’retalkingaboutNorthernIreland’s nextchapterineducation,heritageand language.Inotherwords,thefullpicture.” ■

BA NK ING&BUS IN ES SF INANCE

Warfooting

Sponsoredby

WhatimpactistheconflictinIranandintheMiddleEasthavingonborrowing,on investment,andonNIbusinesseswithinterestsinthe UAE,asks PavelBarter

ConflictintheMiddleEasthas reinforcedthenotionthatNorthern Irelandcanoffer“predictability andstability”forbusinessinvestments, accordingto aleadingbankeconomist.

SebastianBurnside,chiefeconomist atNatWest,believesthatdespitetheUSIsraeliwarwithIran,whichhascaused unprecedenteddisruptionofoilandgas distribution,Norther nIreland“stillhasthe opportunitytobeanattractiveplacetodo

businessandtotradeoverseas,whetherthat’s withtheUS,Europe,the restoftheUK,orinto Asia”.

Theeconomisttold UlsterBusiness:“We are movingtowardaworldwheretradeflowswill bemoredistributedbetweenlotsofdifferent placesratherthanunidirectional.Thatstrikes meas areallygoodstrategyforNorthern Irelandtocontinuetotrytocreate.”From alocalperspective,theremaybenewfound opportunitiestoo.“Ahugenumberoftravel

planstotouristhotspotsarebeingcancelled and re-planned,openingup anewwaveof potentialcustomersforNorther nIreland’s tourismandleisuresector.”

JodieCarson, aprofessorofstrategic policyinpracticeatUlsterUniversity,agrees theExecutiveshouldflagNorther nIreland’s relativelystablepositionforinwardinvestment amidtheshiftingsandsofanuncertainglobal geopoliticalbackdrop.Politicians,shesays, shouldcommunicatethenotionthe region

ProtestersgatheratFederalPlazain Chicagotodemonstrateagainstthe militaryoperationinIran

is“stableandwewanttomakethisplace work.Thereiscurrencyinstabilityamidthe increasinguncertainty.”

Suchoptimismisincontrasttothe reality ofwhathasbeendescribedasthelargestoil disruptioninhistory,duetoIran’sclosureof theStraitofHormuz,andtheglobaleconomic falloutthatfollowed.Someeconomistspredict recession,propelledbytheUKgovernment’s currentlevelofindebtednessandthesumsitis spendingtoservicethatdebt.

JodieCarsondescribesitas“important thatwedon’tpanic.InNorther nIrelandwe havesomeparticularexposuresbutnobody

knowshowthisisgoingtodevelop. Youcan’t possiblypredictbecausethereare somany differentfactors,notleasthowmuchlonger this[conflict]goesonandwhatelsehappens inthemeantime.”

WhatistheimpactoftheconflictinIran andintheMiddleEastonborrowing,and investmentinNorther nIreland?Georges Elhedery,chiefexecutiveofbankinggiant HSBC,hassaidtheconflictishurtingclient confidence.SebastianBurnsideofNatWest said:“Idon’tthinkithasasmuchimpacton us. We’remoredrivenbythefundamentals ofwhether[abusinesscustomer’s]projectisa goodone. Youare morelikelytoseeitimpact moremarket-basedformsoffinanceraises.”

Theremay,however,behighercorporate borrowingcosts.“Wehaveseenmarket interestratesrisearoundtheworldbut particularlyintheUKandEurope,”Sebastian continues.“Concernsabouthigherinflation havecausedmarketstoexpecthigherinterest ratesinthefuture. We’reveryearlyinthat adjustment.It’stoosoontotellwhetherthat willchangecompanies’borrowingappetite. Butclearlythosemarketratesforborrowing haveriseninthe recentmonths.”

ForNorther nIrishbusinesseswithinterests intheMiddleEast,thereisanothersetof concerns.AccordingtodatafromtheNorthern

IrelandStatisticsandResearchAgency(NISRA), theUnitedArabEmirates(UAE)wasNI’s14th largestexportmarketin2024with avalueof £103.2m.Inthesameyear,UAE represented NI’s23rdlargestimportmarket(£42.7m).

In2025, Totalmobile, aBelfast-based softwarecompany,entered astrategic partnershipwith aDubaigrouptobring advancedfieldservicemanagementsolutions totheMiddleEast.Alsoin2025,Belfastestate agentCPSPropertyGroupannouncedthesale of a£2mpenthouseapartmentontheworldfamousPalmJumeirahinDubai.Gulfood, theworld’slargestfoodexpoinDubai,has in recentyearshostedNIexhibitorssuchas AroundNoon,NoisySnacks,BurrenBalsamics, andWhite’sOats.

LastSeptember,InvestNI,the regional economicdevelopmentagencywhichopened itsfirstofficeinDubaiin1994,hosted atrade missiontoSaudiArabiaandtheUAEfeaturing adelegationofnineNIcompanies.Following IranianstrikesontheUAE,hasInvestNI’s involvementinthe regionbeenimpacted?A spokespersonforInvestNIsaiditwas“too earlytoassessinvestmentimpact”.

MarkO’Connell,executivechairmanand founderofOCOGlobal, aBelfast-based advisoryfirmfocusedontrade,investment andeconomicdevelopment,described>

theconflictas“apauseinconfidence,not abreakdowninfundamentalsandDubai continuestobenefitfrombeingthe region’s moststableoperatingbase.”OCOGlobalis oneof anumberofNIbusinesses(likedairy companyGreenfieldsIreland)withanofficein Dubai.

“ForNorther nIrelandbusinesseswith abase inDubai,theimmediateimpacthasbeenmore aboutdelayeddecision-makingandincreased cautionratherthanoperationaldisruption,” saysMark.“Dealsareslowing,notcollapsing.” Thishasledtoincreasedtighteningin financingandcostpressures.“Businesses areseeingslightlyhigherborrowingcosts andmoreselectivelending,alongsiderising insurance,freight,andlogisticscostsdrivenby regionalriskpremiums.”

Operationalcontinuity remainsstrongin Dubai,Marksays.“Day-to-daybusinessactivity islargelyunaffected.Themainrisksareabout supply-chain resiliencywheremeasuresare alreadyinfullswing,forexample,viasupply chain reroutingvialandcorridorsthrough SaudiArabia-Iraq-Turkey,whichprovidesvital

alternativetradingcorridorsfortheUAEand GCC;especiallyinthenon-petrochemical sectors.”

Dubai recentlyapprovedanAED 1billion (£201m)economicfacilitationpackage, includingfeedeferralsandtargeted relief, forhospitality(suchaspostponinghotelsales feesandtourismleviesforthreemonths).

This,Markbelieves,supportsliquidityand confidenceinUAE.“Whilenotexplicitly awarresponsemeasure,itishelpingeasepressure onbusinessesduring aperiodofheightened uncertainty.”The region’spositionas a“safe haven”isalsobeing reinforced.“Ratherthan exitingthe region,manyfirmsareconsolidating operationsinDubaias astablebase,”Mark says.“Periodsofgeopoliticaltensionhistorically strengthenits roleas aregionalhubforcapital, talent,andinvestment.”

Backhome,thesurgeinoilprice,has refocusedattentionontheneedfor renewable capacities.“Thisisn’tanissuefortomorrow,” saysJodieCarson.“Thisisanissuethatis causinguspaintoday.”Electriccarsales acrosstheUKinMarch,2026,hit arecord

high,accordingtotheSocietyofMotor Manufacturersand Traders(SMMT).“AndI’m surewe’llseesimilarbooststointerestinsolar installationsoverthecomingmonths,”says SebastianBurnside.

Iftheconflictissoon resolvedtheworldcan bounceback,believestheNatWesteconomist. “Insimilaritytoother recentglobalevents, we’veseen astrong recoveryinmostequity marketssincethelowestpointinthecourse oftheshock.” Trump’stariffsof2025werea caseinpoint.“Therewereverysteepfallsin theinitialdays[afterthetariffannouncement] andthen recoverycarriedonforthe restofthe year.”

Perhapsthismomentis alineinthesandfor localbusiness.TheconflictintheMiddleEast hashighlightedhowpolitics,geopolitics,and economicsareincreasinglyboundtogether. Businessesmakinganinvestmentormaking adecisiontoenter anewmarket,nowneed toconsidernotonlywhatmayhappento economiesinthefuture,theyalsoneedto understandhowchangingpoliticsmightshape theirplans. ■

NIfirmsecureshealthcontract to help trainstafdealingwithdementia

ACoLondonderryfirmhassecured alandmarkhealthcontractin Englandfortraininginspecialist careforpatientswithdementia. CommissionedbyNHSBristol,North Somerset,andSouthGloucestershire IntegratedCareBoard(ICB),6DDementiawill deliver alarge-scalenewdementiatraining programmeforfrontlineNHSstaffacrossthese areas.

Around500healthandsocialcarestafffrom hospitals,communityservices,localauthorities andthevoluntarysectorintheareawill completethespecialistdementiatraining.

Aspokespersonsaidthatdeliveryofthe newcontractcomesastheUKfacesrapidly risingdementiarates.Around982,000people arecurrentlylivingwiththecondition, afigure expectedtopassonemillionby2030and reach1.4millionby2040.

6DDementia,basedinPortrushwas

foundedbyDrFrancesDuffy.Thecompanyis currentlyoneofonlyfourcompaniesaccepted ontotheAlzheimer’sSociety’sAccelerator Programme.

DrDuffy,consultantclinicalpsychologist andnationaldementia-careexpert,said:“Asa business,ourprioritiesalignwiththoseofthe NHSLong TermPlanandtheNorther nIreland ResetPlan,meaningourmodelisbuilton transitioningfromsicknesstoprevention,from hospitaltocommunity,andfromanalogueto digital.

“Ibelievethiscontractfor6DDementia marks aproudmomentforusas acompany andforNorther nIreland’shealthinnovation sector,asitreinforcesourabilitytomeet thoseprioritieswhiledevelopingcommercially scalable,world-class,transformational healthcaresolutionsforuseathomeandfor export.”

Sheadded:“As asocietywearefacing rapidlyrisingdementiarates,soitishugely

significantforpeoplelivingintheareathatthe ICBhastakentheleadandchosentoinvestin specialisttrainingthatispractical,accessible, anddesignedtomake arealdifferenceto familiesandfrontlinestaffalike.

“Theirdecisiontoinvestinourspecialist trainingis apowerfulendorsementofwhat 6DDementiahasbuilt,andofitsvaluein deliveringmeasurableoutcomes,costsavings forstretchedhealthsystems,bettersupport forstaffandcarers,and,mostimportantly,real dignityforpeoplelivingwithdementia.”

Accordingto6DDementia,itstraining “seekstoimprovethequalityoflifeforpeople livingwithdementiaandtoeasepressureon healthandsocialcarebudgetsbysupporting reductionsincrisis,escalation,andunnecessary hospitaladmissionsandmoreappropriateuse ofantipsychoticmedication”.

Itincludesonlinemodules,careplanning tools,andface-to-facesessionstohelpstaff’s understandingoftheprogressionofdementia.

BankofIreland: Investment andinnovation fora strong andsustainable future

Havingmarked200yearsinbusinesslocally– BankofIreland isfirmly focusedonwhatliesahead. GeorgeHigginson,managingdirector, EverydayBanking,BankofIrelandUK,speaksabout abusinessenteringone ofthemostexcitingchaptersinitshistory: aboldthree-yearstrategy,a multimillion-poundinvestmentprogramme,andanambitiontoofferunrivalled financialchoicetocustomers,nowandforgenerationstocome

Withmorethan30yearsof experienceinthefinancial servicessector,George HigginsonislookingtoBankofIreland UK’s futurewithpurpose.ForGeorgeit’s more than ajob.“It’sanhonourand a privilegeformetohelpshapethenext chapterinourlonghistory,”hesays.

Thatsenseofprideiseasytounderstand. BankofIrelandUKhas deeprootsinthe community,havingmarkedits200th anniversarylocallylastyear.Yetevenasthe celebrationsweretakingplacetomarkthat milestone,thefocuswasfirmlyondelivering whatcomesnext.

HeadquarteredinBelfast, reflectingitsdeep tiestothe regionandits roleinsupporting localeconomicdevelopment,thebankalso benefitsfromthestrengthandbackingofBank ofIrelandGroup,ensuringitscustomersare supportedbyitspeople,products,andservices island-wideandacrossthe restoftheUKtoo.

“We’reproudofourhistory,butweare lookingaheadwith realambition. We are investingandbuildingforthefuture,growing ourbusinesssustainablyandstrengtheningour offertomeettheneedsofourcustomersnow andintothefuture,”hesays.

Thatambitionforgrowthisdrivingthebank toharnessthelatesttechnologytoenhance

itsEverydaybankingproductsandservices, reducecomplexity,andimprovethecustomer experience,underpinnedby athree-year£100m transformationprogrammedesignedtotake thebusinesstothenextlevel.

“Weare modernisingourcoreplatforms, evolvingourdigitalandartificialintelligence(AI) capabilities,andmakingeverydaytransactions faster,simpler,andmoreefficientforcustomers andcolleaguesalike,whilestrengthening relationshipsbydeliveringanevenbetter customerexperience.

Havingannounceditsinvestmentlastyear, momentumisbuildingandthereare clear signsofprogresstodatewithBankofIreland UK’slatest resultsshowingstrongfinancial performance,with£16.9bninlendingacross theUKand£12.8bnincustomerdeposits.

Therehavealsobeentangibleimprovements forcustomerswithpersonalaccountopening timescutby50%,the re-mortgageprocess forexistingcustomers reducedfromfive daystojust30minutes,andAI-enabledcall infrastructuredeliveringclearperformance insights –enablingthebanktogetcustomers totherightpointofcontactquicker

Whiledrivingefficienciesanddelivering a bettercustomerexperienceareimportant,so tooisinnovatingtomeetthechangingneeds ofcustomersandthefast-changingfinancial landscape.

“Thepaceandscaleofchangeinthe worldisunprecedented. We needtobeagile amidthefast-changingfinanciallandscape, responsivetothechangingeconomiclandscape andtheneedsofourcustomers. Withnew infrastructure,systems,andtalenttomatchwe arebuildingexactlythat.”

Thatinnovationisevidentinthebank’snew onlineCashISA,whichprovidescustomers withgreaterflexibility,andincludesboth EasyAccessandFixedRateoptionstohelp customersachievetheirfinancialgoals.It’s furtherdemonstratedinthebank’snewflexible businessdepositaccountwhichhasbeen designedtohelpbusinessesmaximisecash managementandmakethemostofexcess liquidity,aninnovative,practicalsolutionto meetcurrentneeds.

BankofIrelandUKworkswithbusinessesof allsizes,fromSMEstolargecorporates,across arangeofsectors.Supportedbylocalbusiness andcorporatebankingteams,customers haveaccesstoglobalmarketsexpertisein Belfast,providingmulti-currencysolutionsand guidingbusinessesastheytradeinternationally, alongsidespecialistCommercialFinance support.

Thebank’ssupportextendsbeyondfinancial products,suchasgreenlendingsolutionsto

helpbusinessesontheirESGjourney, andthe newlylaunchedSustainableBusinessCoach, a freedigital resourcedesigned tohelpbusinesses taketheirfirststepstowardsustainability.

“Ultimately,our roleistohelpcustomers achievetheirfinancialgoals,whetherthat’s supportinganentrepreneurtakingtheleap intobusinessorhelpingsomeonebuytheirfirst home.Whateverthemilestone,BankofIreland wanttobethereeverystep oftheway.”

Thatcommitmentis reflectedinthebank’s latestbrandcampaign,‘Rightwithyou’,which isbuiltaroundthebank’sgoaltoberightwith itscustomersateverypointintheirlifetime andateverystageoftheirfinancialjourney Thatmeansproviding arangeofchannels forcustomerstoaccessservices,fromtrusted colleaguesacrossits13-strongbranchnetwork, toanever-evolvingdigital offeringforday-todaytransactions,includinganewbankingapp whichissettolaunchinthecomingmonths.

Developedusingthelatesttechnology, thenewapphasbeendesignedforboth consumersandsmallbusinesses.Itwillgive customersgreatercontrolwithenhancedselfservecapabilities,improvedsecuritythrough biometrics,and24/7access.

Amodern, refreshedappearanceincludes improvedaccessibility, theabilitytoedit thepayment referenceforexistingpayees, andanenhancedprivacyfeatureenabling customerstoblurfinancialinformationsuchas accountbalanceswheninpublic,alldelivering improved,fasterperformanceandgreater resilience.

“There’llalsobenewfasterpayments and anewsavingsplatformtocomeaswe becomemoreagileand responsive,delivering newproductsandservicesasthemarketand customersdemand.”

Investmentinpeopleisequallyimportant Thebankisequippingcolleagueswiththeskills neededforanAI-enabledfuture,providing careerdevelopmentandtraining,particularly forthoseplaying aleading roleinshapingtheir approachtoemergingtechnology

Yetforallthefocusoninnovationand growth,fundamentally,BankofIrelandbelieves inbeingpartofthecommunity

“Wedon’tjustinvestinourbusiness;we invest inthecommunity too. We’rewoveninto

thefabricofNorthernIreland,and Iamproud ofthebusinessbeing aforceforgoodhere.

“Since2020,ourCommunityFundhas distributed£3minfundingtobuildcapability andfosterinclusionacrosssociety.Inaddition, wehaveinstalledlife-saving,circuit-registered publiclyaccessibledefibrillatorsacrossevery branch,andhostedCPRawarenesseventsto buildconfidenceinusingthem.

“Buildingfinancialconfidencein communities,ourcommunityengagement teamdeliveredalmost9,000hoursof financialeducationtoschools,businessesand communityorganisationslastyearalone.”

Thateducationextendstosafeguarding customersfromfinancialcrime,withBankof Irelandprovidingcustomerswithcomprehensive fraudawarenesscampaigns,alongsideAIdrivenfrauddetectionsystems,transaction monitoring,24/7fraudsupportand a commitmentas asignatorytothe159secure

callscheme.

Thebankisalsocommittedtoensuring thatbankingisaccessibleforeveryone.The bank’sbrancheshavehearingloops,JAM cardaccreditation,andSunflowerlanyard recognition.

Documentsareavailableinlargeprint,braille, andaudioformats,andthewebsitesupports signlanguageusersthrougha dedicatedvideo relayservice.

Andwhenlifetakesanunexpectedturn, throughillness,bereavement,orseparation, thebank’sExtraHelpHubistheretosupport customersinvulnerablesituations

“Financialservicesshouldbeaccessiblefor everyone,”Georgesays.“That’sthestandard weholdourselvesto.”

“Thisisn’tjustaboutbanking.It’sabout beingtherewhenpeopleneedusmost,and we’reexcitedtobeinvestingforcustomers now,andforgenerationstocome.” ■

ThejobsmarketinNorthernIrelandhascontinued toslowdown,accordingtolatestfigures

Northern Irelandjobsmarket

‘continuingtoslowdown’

TheNorther nIrelandjobsmarket iscontinuingtolosemomentum withonly aslightriseinemployee numbersovertheyear,accordingtoa report.

AccordingtoHMRCpayrolldataforMarch, thenumberofemployees recevingpaythrough PAYEwas819,800,whichwasunchanged overthemonthandupjust1.1%overthe year.

Andmedianmonthly earningsinNIdropped by£60comparedtoFebruary,reaching£2,434. Thatwasamonthonmonthdeclineof 2.4%,andafallof£25,or1%,yearonyear

In astatement,theNorthern Ireland StatisticsandResearchAgency(Nisra)said thedatashowedthelabourmarkethere “continuestolosemomentum”.

Nisraadded:“Althoughtherewasan increaseinpayrolledemployeenumbersfrom theHMRCpayrolldataovertheyear,this increasewasrelatively small.

“Therewerenostatisticallysignificant changes reportedfromtheLabourForceSurvey (LFS)overeitherthequarterortheyear,again indicating arelativelysteadystateinthelabour market.”

NirsasaidthattheseparatequarterlyLFS showedaseasonallyadjustedunemployment rateof2.2%forDecembertoFebruary.That ratewasup0.1percentagepointsoverthe quarterandup0.7ppsovertheyear

Theemploymentratedroppedby0.8pps overthequarterandby0.1ppsovertheyear to71.2%.

Thenumberofemployedpeople(age16 andover)inNIwasestimatedat889,000, a decreaseof8,000fromthelastquarterand a decreaseof1,000fromthesameperiodlast year

Thetotalnumberofweeklyhoursworked inNIwasestimatedat28.6millionhours, a decreaseof5.2%onthepreviousquarterand adecreaseof1.3%ontheequivalentperiod lastyear

Theeconomicinactivityrate(theproportion

ofpeopleaged16to64whowerenot workingandnotseekingoravailabletowork) increasedby0.8ppsoverthequarterand decreasedby0.4ppsovertheyearto27.2%.

Thenumberofpeopleontheclaimantcount inMarchwas35,400,whichwas3.5%ofthe workforceandup1.5%onFebruary’srevised figure.Theclaimantcountisstill18.7%higher thanitwasbeforethestartoftheCovid-19 pandemicinMarch2020.

Nisrasaidthat160 redundancieshad occurredinMarch,bringingtheannualtotal to2,370 –aroundone-thirdhigherthanthe previousyear

Therewere2,910proposed redundanciesin the12monthstoMarch2026,whichwas5% lessthanthepreviousyear’stallyof3,060.

JonathanSimpson,employmentexpert anddirectorintheemploymentteamatlaw firmDWFinBelfast,said:“Thelatestlabour marketfigures reinforce atrendthathasbeen developinginNorther nIrelandforsometime: agradualeasingofmomentumratherthan a sharpdeterioration.” ■

COMM ERCI AL PROPERTY &CONST RUCT ION

Withsome8,000newstudentbedroomsbuiltinBelfast inthelastdecadealone,alongwithdevelopments outsideofthecity,havewereachedsomethingofa saturationpoint? JohnMulgrew takes acloserlook

Aftertheintroductionofsome8,000 newstudentbedroomstoBelfast, you’dthinkthecitymaybedone for awhile.

Atthisverymoment,wearen’t–justyet. Thecranes remainupatseveralschemeshere, includingQueen’sUniversity’sontheDublin Road.It’sunderstoodanothermajorscheme couldsoonbeonthecards,elsewhere,too.

However,whileseverallargeschemes areintheworks–thelargestatalmost900 bedroomswhichsuccessfullywonitsplanning appealandnowhasapproval –willthese sizeabledevelopmentsgetoutoftheground?

“Norther nIrelandiscertainlyataninflection

pointforpurposebuiltmanagedstudent accommodation,”PhilipStinson,director, planningfor Turleysaid.

Hesayswhilesomeoftheschemesinthe pipelineandfuturepipelinemaybedeveloped intheyearahead, apauseislikelydownto fundingchallengesandinfrastructureissues, ratherthandemand.

“Thereare severalotherpurpose-built managedstudentaccommodation(PBMSA) proposalswithplanningpermissionwhichhave notyetbeenimplemented,”hesays.

“Theseschemesmayyetbedevelopedin theyearahead.However,forthedevelopers behindapprovedschemespauseismorelikely

tobe adirect resultofsecuringfundingina climateofrisingcostsandotherconstraints suchaswastewatercapacity,than alackof demand.”

Somethinghasalsoirkedthoseinthe hospitalityandhotelsectors,aswellasgot tongueswaggingoverwhetherthereis sufficientdemandforsuchschemes.

Someoftheschemeshavesubmitted changesofusewhichwouldpotentiallyallow themtobeusedfornon-students,while anotherinplanninghas received abacklash fromthehotelandhospitalitysectorovera proposaltousehalfofthebuildingfornonstudentuseoutsidetermtime.That’sahuge 895-bedroomdevelopmentatCorporation Street,which recentlywasawardedplanning permission.

TheNorther nIrelandHotelsFederation lodgedoneoftheobjections.Itsaidthe

proposalstoallowupto50%ofthe roomsto beusedforshort-termtouristaccommodation outsidetermtimewas a“matterofserious concer nforthehotelandtourismsector”.

“Therehasbeen aconsiderableinfluxof studentaccommodationintothecity,with over8,000 roomsnowinthemarket,and around3,000additional roomseitherunder constructionorwithplanningapprovalbeing soughtforthreefurtherschemescomprising 2,000 rooms,”itsaid.

“Theexponentialriseinthistypeof accommodationhasgivenrisetoconcerns whetherthecurrentlevelPBSA/PSMSA businessescantradein asustainablemannerin thecitywithintheeducation/studentmarket.”

Meanwhile,HospitalityUlstersaid“the inclusionoftourismaccommodationwithin studenthousingdevelopmentsunderminesthe considerableinvestmentsmadebyourhotel industry,whichhascontinuedtoexpandand upgradeitsoffertomeetgrowingandfuture tourismdemandinBelfast”.

PhilipStinsonsays:“Belfastwasoneofthe lastUKcitiestoadoptthePBMSAmodeland remainsbehindothercomparablysizedUK citiesforPBMSAprovision.

“Derry/Londonderryonlyjustgained planningpermissionforitsfirstPBMSA developmentatthebeginningofApril.

InBelfast,thecurrentsupplycanprovide managedaccommodationforonly10%of

Norther nIreland’sstudentpopulation.

“Norther nIrelandhas atraditionofstudents livingathomeandcommutingtouniversityor highereducationcolleges.”

Hesaysitis“farfromthecasethatthe marketisover-saturated”.

“AcoregroupthatdemandsPBMSAare internationalstudents,andintandemwith localstudents,growthintheinternational studentmarketcouldcontinuetoplacea demandonexistingPBMSAplaces.

“As aresult,wemightexpecttoseefurther PBMSAproposalslaterintheyearifglobal economicconditionsimproveandimportantly planningandinfrastructureconstraintsare resolvedsufficientlytoattractinvestment.”>

COMM ERCI AL PROP ERTY &CON ST RUCT ION

WhileeverythingappearstobeBelfastcentric,smallerschemesarealsobeingplanned elsewhereinNorther nIreland.

Takeoursecondcity.Planswererecently green-litfor a281-bedroomstudent accommodationschemeontheStrandRoad, notfarfromDerry’sUlsterUniversityCampus.

Theuniversitycurrentlyhasaround6,500 students,andaimsto reach10,000by2032.

Andlastyear Irevealedthatstudent accommodationschemecouldbebuiltinthe cityamidfreshplans.

Theearlyplansincludethebuildingofa huge553-bedroomstudentdevelopment, locatedatthewidersiteatDesmondMotors ontheStrandRoad.

Ifdeveloped,itwouldbethelargestsingle privatestudentdevelopmentbuiltinDerry. Thatannouncementcameamidconcerns over a“chronicundersupplyofstudent accommodation”.

Ithasbeenwarnedthatthatposes ariskto UlsterUniversity’sexpansionplansinthecity.

Butstudentaccommodationexpansionisn’t justbeingdevelopedandearmarkedforour cities.

UlsterUniversity’scampusontheoutskirtsof

Coleraineboastssome5,500students.

Inthetownitself,planshave recentlybeen submittedfor a39-bedroomaccommodation schemeatRailwayRoad.

Thosebehindthedevelopmentsayitwill contribute“positivelytothelocalhousing offerandmeeting arecognisedneedfor studentaccommodationincloseproximityto Coleraine’seducationalfacilities”.

“Theintroductionof aresidentialuseat upper-floorlevel reinforcesthemixed-use characterofthetowncentre,supporting activitybeyondnormalbusinesshoursand contributingto asafer,morevibranturban environment.”

Forthosestudentsabletotravel alittle further,newplansareunderwaytotur na formernursinghomeinPortstewartinto anew “hallsof residence”forUlsterUniversity.

Ifsuccessfulitcouldseetheformer MontagueNursingHome redevelopedinto studentaccommodation,with45-ensuite bedrooms.

“In relationtotheColerainecampus,it reportedthatthedemandprojectionswere higherthanpreviouslyassessed,”planssay. “Itispredictedthatthatupwardtrendwill

continuedespitemarketuncertaintiesaround recruitment.

“Thathascreated aquantitative requirement foradditionalbedspaces.”

Referringto areportfromCushman Wakefield,itsaysitindicatedthat“existing supplywas restrictedtoservetheColeraine campuswithjust755beds”.

“Italsonotedthatthesupplypipelinewas verylimiteddespitethestrongdemandfor beds.

“Theeffectofthisisthattheuniversity wouldnotbeabletohouseallfirst-year students.Thesupplypipelinewasalso constrainedbythelocalhousingmarketthat hasbeenaffectedbythepopularityofthe generalareaas aholidaydestinationand alocationforsecondhomesandAirbnbs, whichhas reducedthenumberoftraditional housesofmultipleoccupancy(HMOs)thatare availablefromprivatesectorproviderstoserve thestudentmarket.”

Certainly,thoseareasareinneedofstudent accommodation.Butwhilemarketforcesand globalmacroeventscouldimpactBelfast’s studentschemedevelopment,theremaybe moretocomeintheyearsahead. ■

Cautiousstartto2026forNI commercialproperty market

TheindustrialsectorwasthebestperformerinNI’s

betweenJanuaryandApril,writes

Nearly£71mwasspenton commercialpropertyinvestments inthefirstthreemonthsof2026— nearlydoublethesametimelastyear,a reporthassaid.

ButcommercialpropertyfirmCBRENIsaid ithadnonethelessbeen acautiousstarttothe yearduetoeconomicuncertaintyandwider pressures.

Accordingtoitscommercialpropertymarket reportforquarterone,therehadbeena notablelevelofinvestmentdealsinJanuary, FebruaryandMarch.

Itsaidthatmorethanhalfhadbeen completedoff-market,withindustrialproperty accountingfor56%ofalldeals.And42%had beenin retail.

More investmentpropertiesweredueto cometomarketbytheendofthismonth, CBRENIsaid,with£50mofassetsnowunder offerorinlegals.

Retailperformancewassteady,andwas buildingon2025’spositiveperformance. Shoppingcentresandretailparkswere performingwell—withBelfastleadingthe wayas aprime retaildestination.

Keyopeningsoverthestartoftheyear includedbeautybrandSephora,whichopened itsdoorsat VictoriaSquareShoppingCentrein BelfastinFebruary.

Theofficemarkethad aquieterstarttothe year,thefirmsaid,withactivitymoresubdued thatithadbeenattheendof2025.

CBRENIsaidtherehadbeentake-upof 56,358sqftacrossseventransactions,slightly headofthefive-year rollingaverage.

BrianLavery,managingdirectoratCBRENI, said:“Whilethemarkethasmade acautious starttotheyear,thefundamentals remain soundandweareseeingsteadydemand across anumberofkeysectors,which reflects adegreeofunderlyingconfidencedespite ongoingeconomicheadwinds.

“Whatisincreasinglyclear,however,isthat

MargaretCanning

viabilityconstraintsarenowthesinglebiggest barriertogrowth.

“Withoutmeaningfulinterventionor improvedcostconditions,thiswillcontinueto limitthepaceatwhichnewdevelopmentcan comeforward.”

CBRENIsaidthatNorther nIreland’s hotelsectorcontinuedtobuildmomentum throughoutthefirstquarter,with refurbishmentsand astrongforwardpipeline.

NewhotelsincludedTheBedfordHotel, whichopenedthismonth,aswellasAloft BelfastandResidenceInnbyMarriottBelfastin TitanicQuarter’sHamiltonDock.

CBRENIsaidtheindustrialsectorhad beenthestarperformer,with acleareruplift inenquirylevels,especiallyforlarger-scale requirements.

Inthe residentialsector,theoutlookwas goodintheshort-term,withover1,200 studentspacesduetobecompletedthisyear.

CBRENIwarnedthatbeyondthisyear,“the pipelinebecomesmarkedlythinner,withno significantschemescurrentlyexpectedinthe followingtwoyears”.

MrLaverysaid:“Quarterone reflectsa marketthatisstable,butlackingmomentum. Foractivitytoacceleratemeaningfully,weneed toseegreatercertaintyaroundinflationand interestrates,alongsideimprovedaccessto affordablefinance.

“Untilthoseconditionsbegintoease,the marketislikelyto remainin aholdingpattern, withprogressdrivenbywell-capitalised investorsandsectorsinwhichdemand continuestooutpacesupply.” ■

Adecadeofdiversification: how Gateley’sintegratedapproachis supportingproperty businesses

Forthepast10years,Gateleyhas combined realestateexpertisewith multidisciplinarysupportacross construction,banking,litigation,andtax efficientstructuringtosupportcommercial propertyclientsofallsizesfromitsBelfast base.

Asanintegratedlegalandprofessional servicesgroup,Gateleyoffersa uniquemodel thatprovesparticularlyvaluabletoclientsin needofmulti-jurisdictionalsupportandmany ofitspartnersandseniorlawyersarelicensed tooperateacrossIreland,Englandand Wales.

Afterbecomingthefirstcommerciallaw firmtolistontheLondonStockExchange’s AlternativeInvestmentMarket(AIM)in2015, Gateleyaccelerateditsdiversificationstrategy withtheacquisitionofspecialisttaxincentives consultancyGateleyCapitusin2016.Thedeal establishedGateley’spresenceinBelfastand strengtheneditspropertytaxcapability,with Capitus –ledbymanagingdirectorAubrey Calderwood –advisingonTreasury-backed incentivessuchascapitalallowancesandland remediation relief.

Fast-forwardtotoday andGateleyhas expandedsignificantlyinthecity,evolving into afull-servicelegalandprofessional servicesoffering,providingclientswithmultijurisdictionalspecialistadvice.

TheBelfastofficeisledbyrealestatepartner AlisonReid,whohasmorethantwodecades’ experienceacrossthecity’slegalmarket. Reflectingonthegrowthoftheoffice,shesays:

“Weare proudofthestrongteamwe havebuiltinthecity,particularlyin realestate whereweare recognisedforourtechnical andcommercialcapabilitiesandhavean acknowledgedtrack recordofachieving exceptional results.Throughtheyearswe haveworkedacrosscommercialdevelopment, investment,mixed-useschemes, retailand leisure,finance,litigation –younameit –sowe havebrilliantexperience andexpertiseinthe building

“However,ourdifferentiatoristheway ourlegalservicesteamscollaboratewithour complementarybusinessteams.TheBelfast storystarts withGateleyacquiringCapitusand theaddedskillstheybringtotheteamsetsus apartfromthe restofthemarket. We’vealso recentlyexpandedthepresenceofGateley SmithersPurslowinthecity

“As aresult,clientscannowaccessexpertise includingsurveying,engineering,taxincentives, compulsorypurchase,projectmanagement underone roof,whichisparticularlyvaluable forinvestmentanddevelopmentclients navigatingcomplex,multi-layeredprojects.”

Asthebusinesscontinuestogrowinthe city,Gateley remainsdeterminedtosupport thelocalcommunityandhasbeen along-term supporterofAspireNI, acharitywhichaimsto closetheeducationalattainmentgapbetween therichandpoorinBelfast.Forthepasttwo years,GateleyhasalsosupportedEastBelfast Mission,anorganisationwhichaimstogive thepeopleofNorthernIrelandthebuilding blockstheyneedtobuildbetterfuturesand opportunitiesforthemselves.

Bothcharitieshave receivedcrucialfunding

booststhisyearthankstovariousfundraising drives,withthehighlightbeingthenowannualbusinessquizwhichGateleyhosts eachspring,raisingthousandsofpoundsby bringingtogetherthegreatandthegoodof theBelfastbusinesscommunity.

Lookingahead,thecontinuationofthis supportforlocalcommunitiesisoneofthree keyobjectivesthatReidhasforGateley,aswell ascontinuingto recruitandnurturethevery bestlocaltalentandfurtherdiversifyingthe servicesthatGateleyofferstoitsclients.

“Everythingthatwedoiscentredaround providingthebestservicetoourclients,” Alisonsays.“Weare proudofboththe pathwaywehavecreatedforthenext generationofNorthernIrishlegaltalentand theopportunitieswecanoffertotoday’s top lawyers.

“Bringingthistalentintothebusiness ensuresclients receivethebestguidance. Similarly,continuingtoexpandourintegrated approachandexpandingtheserviceswecan offerallowsustogiveclearandconsistent advice.Ifwegetthisright,thecontinued growthofourofficewilltakecareofitself.”

‘£7a pint willbenewcity centreaverage’

CharlieGallagher speaksto JamesMcNaney aboutthe pressuresofthetradeandhisexperiencesworkingabroad

CharlieGallagherhas recently returnedfrom adecadelivingin FrancetomanageTheJohnHewitt —oneofBelfast’sbest-knownbars.

Hehascomebacktohishomecityat adifficulttimeforhospitality,andsayshe istryingtokeepthebar avibrantcultural touchstonewhiledealingwithincreasedcosts.

Charlieispartof aneweraatTheJohn Hewitt —a newfaceappointedbyowners BoundaryBrewing,whichtookoverthevenue in2022.

Inthebaron abrightspringmorning,he talksabouthowcostriseshavemadeprofit hardtocomebyinrecentyears.Thenational

livingwageforover21sincreasedbyabout 50pfromthestartofAprilto£12.71.

Charliesaid:“Ithitsthecustomerthe hardestbecausetheeasiestwaytodealwith costsinotherareasistoraisethepricesofyour productstothengeneratemorerevenue.

“Withtheminimumwagegoingup,that aloneisanextra£15,000 amonthforthe business.Evengaspriceshaveskyrocketedand nationalinsurancecostsaswell.

“Nomatterwhatindustry,Ithinkpeople arefindingit reallytough. Iwouldlovetoset pricesaslowaspossible,soeveryonecan affordtogooutandhave agoodtime.”

One reliablebarometerforthecostofliving

acrosstheislandofIrelandisthepriceof apint ofGuinness.

TheJohnHewitthasfollowedotherpubs intheareabygoingabove£7 —something Charliedoesnot relishasbarmanager.

“InBelfastcitycentre, Iwouldsaythis isnowgoingtobethenewaverage. Unfortunately,Iknowotherbusinessesinthe areahavejustbrokenthat£7barrier,which Ithinkisgoingtobe reallytoughforsome people.

“AtBoundaryBrewing,thecostofour goodsandthecosttomakeourbeerisgoing upsubstantially.Evenourowncraftproducts aregoingtohavetogoupslightlyhigheras

welltojustifythat.”

CharlieisfamiliarwithTheJohnHewittfrom hischildhood.

Hesays:“IgrewupineastBelfastaround HolywoodArchesandthenmovednear Stormontin2003ataboutsevenyearsold. Ilivedthererightupuntil Ilefttogoto university,afterCampbellCollege.

“When Iwas18andfinishedmyA-levels, IwenttoEdinburghNapierUniversityand didaBAHonoursininternationalbusiness managementwithFrench.

“Frenchwas amassiveelementbecause speakingmorethanonelanguagecangoa verylongwayinbusiness.Thatwassomething Ireallyenjoyed.

“When Iwas astudent, Iworkedin retailfor twoyearsfor aCo-opsupermarket,thenthe

storeIwasworkinginwasclosingdown,and Ihad acoupleoffriendsthatworkedin abar nearby.

“Ithought‘I’llgiveit ago’and Ireally enjoyedit —theindustryandthepeople.I thought Iwasontosomething,and Ihaven’t leftsince.”

Charliesaysheenjoyedthe“personal element”ofbarworkmorethanwhathe foundin retail.

“Yougettomeetpeoplefromallwalks oflife.Itcanbeextremelystressfulandvery challenging,butsomepeoplethriveunder pressure.I’vealways reallyenjoyedit.”

Hisfour-yeardegreegavehim achance tospend ayearlivingin Lyon,wherehe wenttotheESDESSchoolofBusinessand Management,takingmodulesinbothFrench andEnglish.

Charlieloved Lyonstraightaway.“Idon’t thinkI’veeverfeltsoathomeanywhere else.It’ssimilarinscaletoBelfastasit’svery compact.It’seasytogetaroundandhasabout thesameamountofinhabitants.

“Itissuch abeautifulcityandthere’sabig Irishexpatcommunity,which Iwasverylucky tojoinquitequickly.Wealwayslookafterour own.”

BeingbilingualcameinhandyasCharliefell backintobarworkalmostimmediately.

“Iwasthereforfivedaysandwasmeeting abunchofotherstudentsthatI’dnevermet before. We walkedintoanIrishbarand Igot talkingtosomeofthestaffthere.Theywere hiring,so Iliterallystartedthreedayslater.

“Itwasn’tmygoaltogooverandgeta

part-timejob,but Ithoughtitwouldbegood toimmersemyselfinthelanguageinanother wayoutsideeducation.

“Iwasat alevelwhereIunderstood everythingthatwasbeingsaid,butitwould takeme acoupleofminutestoformulatea response.

“Overtimeworkingin aspecificindustry, thesamequestionsdopopup,sothere’s thatelementof repetitionthathelpsyouget fluent.”

Charliewassuch afanof Lyonthathe movedbackthereafterhisdegreeanddid morebarwork.Healsonoticedsomeofthe differencesbetweenFrenchandIrishbar culture.

“TheFrenchhave abigcasualdiningculture wheretheywouldtaketwo-hourlunchbreaks.

“Theywouldgoout,have astarter,main anddessert,thencoffeeandstraightbackto work,maybeafterfourorfiveglassesofwine, aswell.

“Theywouldeatoutatleastfourorfive times aweek,whichisniceelementoftheir culture.

“Butoverthetime Iwasthere,yousawthe declinebecauseofthecostofliving.Itis areal shamelosingthingslikethat.”

TherewerechangesinCharlie’s professionallifeduringhistimeinFrance, becomingassistantmanagerandthen managerathisbarwithin ayearofhis return.

Hestayedthereforaroundfiveyears beforemovingtobe amanagerat adifferent barinthecity.

“Inmanagement,youneedthatvisionand tobeawareofabsolutelyeverything,which isnotalwayspossible,butyoutrytobe aheadofwhatmighthappen.

“Idefinitelylearnedhowtomanagehighly stressfulsituations.Forexample,therugby WorldCupwashostedbyFrance,anditwas justpurechaosonmatchdays.

“Wehad WalesvsAustraliaintown,and wewerereadyfor abiggame,butweran outofbeerin aday.Wethenhadtoget emergencydeliveriesforthe restoftheweek.

“Also,withFrancebeing acountrythat’s notoriousforprotestingandcampaigning, theyliketotaketothestreets.

“Thereare groupsthatwillgooutand looktobreakstuffandvandalise.Therehad been afewtimeswherewe’vebeenteargassedandhadtoclosetheterracewithin10 minutesandgeteveryoneinside.”

Charliedecidedto retur nfromFrancein ordertoseehisfamilyandfriendsinBelfast, withoutanyparticulardesignsonstayingin barmanagement.

However,whenhesawtheopeningatThe JohnHewitt,hefeltitwas“a reallyperfect fit”.

“Ineedtoworkforsomethingwhere Ibelieveinwhatthey’redoing —the communitymindset,theamazingbeer,and supportoflocal,independentIrishproducts.I justthought, Icantotallygetbehindthis.”

Despiteanyissuesfacingthesector,Charlie clearlystillloveshisjob,andworkingatThe JohnHewittinparticular.

Hebelievesinthebaranditsabilityto honourtheculturalandsocialsignificanceof itsnamesake.

“JohnHewittwas asocialist, aNorther nIrish poet,and afreemanofBelfast.

“HestartedtheBelfastUnemployed ResourceCentre,whichisthelandlordofthe buildingandislisted.

“Intermsofculturalsignificance,wewant topromoteallthings:music,art,comedy oranysceneinthearts,aswellasbringing peopletogetherand reallyenjoyinggood concertsandgoodtimes.” ■

NIhotelchiefhonouredwithMBE

ThemanagingdirectorofHastings Hotelshasbeenformallypresented withhisMemberoftheOrderofthe BritishEmpire(MBE)honourbyPrincess AnneatWindsorCastle.

TheMBEacknowledgesJamesMcGinn’s careerspanningmorethan30yearsinthe hospitalityindustry,aswellashissignificant contributiontoNorther nIreland’stourism sector.

TheHastingsHotelGroupownssixhotels inNorther nIreland,includingtheEuropaand GrandCentralinBelfast,theCullodenEstate andSpainHolywood,andtheEvergladesin Derry.

“Itwas aprivilegeto receivemyMBEfrom PrincessAnneat WindsorCastle,madeeven morespecialbysharingthedaywithmy family,”MrMcGinnsaid.

AftergraduatingfromQueen’sMrMcGinn

beganhiscareerinLondonbeforereturning toNorther nIreland,latergaining aMaster’sin HotelandInternational TourismManagement fromUlsterUniversity.

Hewentontogaininternationalexperience in WashingtonDCbeforejoiningHastings Hotelsin1996.

Today,MrMcGinnis regardedasoneofthe leadingfiguresinNorther nIreland’stourism andhospitalitysector.

“Iamimmenselyproudtohavebuiltmy careerinanindustrythatplays avital role inNorther nIrelandandtohavespentthe majorityofthattimeinleadership roleswithin HastingsHotels.

“IwouldliketosincerelythanktheHastings familyfortheircontinuedbeliefinmeandmy colleaguesacrossthegroupfortheirsupport anddedication,”MrMcGinnadded.

LastmonththeNIhotelgroupsawpre-tax

profitsjump50%toover£11m.

FoundedbySir WilliamHastings,members ofhisfamilystillserveontheboard,including chairmanHowardHastings.

Inthepastyear,HastingsGrouphas investedinitsportfolio,including a£100,000 upgradetothefive-starcocktailbarinthe GrandCentralHotel.

Sittingonthe23rdfloorofthebuilding, theObservatorybargot arenovatedinterior alongwith anewmenu.

AlsoopenedattheGrandCentrallastyear wastheCavern: aprivatediningexperience thatishiddenbehind apieceofsliding artwork.

Costing£150,000,thenewdining experienceserves aseven-coursemenuwhich includes“Kingsburywagyubeef,Carlingford Oysters,turbotcaviarandBallycastle lobsters.” ■

Whyweneed reliableaccess to our own energysupplies

ANorthernIrelandwithlowerdependencyand geopoliticalriskinandaroundtheproduction andtransportofoilandgasiswherewewant tobe,writes RichardMurphy,headofPinsent Masons’energygroupinIreland

Norther nIreland,andEuropemore generallyneedstobecomean ‘electrostate’ –atermthatis startingtobeusedintheenergysector todescribecountrieswhoseeconomic competitivenessandinfluenceisbuilton locallyproducedclean,secure,low-cost electricity.

Ifwecanelectrifyasmuchaspossibleof ourenergysystemwithourlocal resources, suchasbiomethane,windandsolar,supported bysmarterbackupincludingstorage,lower carbonbaseloadgenerationandgreater interconnection,ourhomes,businessesand carsacrossNorther nIrelandwillbepoweredby localelectrons.

Thatwillmeanwegetawayfromthe currentdependenceonimportedoilandgas moleculeswhichcarriessignificantpriceand transitriskforNorther nIreland.

Whatweareallseeingplayoutatfuel pumpsacrossNorther nIreland –and witnessingdailyontheeveningnewswithfuel protests,inflation,andenergycostpredictions fortheweeksandmonthsahead –isthat energyisessentiallytheeconomy.

Thesewholesalepriceshocksflowrapidly

througheconomiestoconsumersatthepump, intoourgasandelectricitybills,andindirectly to awiderangeoffoodproducts,goods,and services.Having reliableaccesstolocalenergy suppliesinNorther nIrelandisthereforecritical tosupportourlong-termcompetitivenessasa regionaleconomy.

Thecurrentcrisispresentsuswithan

immediateopportunitytourgently reassess thesefundamentalsandprioritise reactions thatenhancelong-termenergystabilityfor the region. We needtopushhardertowards energyindependence,andtheobviousanswer istolooktoelectrification(wherethatiscost efficienttodoso).

Alotofactivityintheenergysector respondsto apolicysignal. We thereforeneed toalignpolicyandincentivesforelectrification. ThisispreciselywhytheNorther nIreland Executivehas,forexample,prioritiseda newsupportschemetobeintroducedfor renewablesinNorther nIreland,tobecalled theRenewableElectricityPriceGuarantee. We alsoneedtomakeprogresswith,and putgreateremphasison,storageandother gridflexibilitytools,grid reinforcements,and furtherinterconnectionmovingforwardto

trulystabiliseprices.Thesetoolswillessentially giveusgreaterflexibilitytodealwiththe intermittencyof renewables –sowhenthe windisnotblowing,orthesunisnotshining, weneedtohave abackupsuchasstorageor interconnection.

We alsoneedtobeabletostoreanyexcess powerfromourwindfarmsorsolarparksfor futureuseratherthancurtailsuchpowerifitis notneededorcannotbeusedbythesystemat certaintimesoftheday.

MarketslikeSpaindemonstratehow renewablesatscalecansuppresssomeofthe pricevolatilitybutsustainingthatadvantage dependsonhoweffectivelytheseother flexibilitytoolsevolvegoingforward.Theprice thatultimatelymattersiswhatbusinessesand consumersarepayingasthefinalpricefor theirenergy.

We havesupportedsomeofourleading localcorporatesinNorther nIreland suchasAlmacwithimplementingtheir decarbonisationplans.Thishas,however, beenlargelynichemarketactivitytodate,not mainstream.

We shouldthereforebelookingatany furtherpracticalsupportthatcouldbeprovided toourlocalbusinessesandhomesintheform oflong-termsignalsthatelectrificationwill besupportedthroughadvice/support,tax credits,accelerateddepreciation,grants,and/ orcheaperfinance.

Thatshouldbe apriority.Ifabusinessora homewantstoinstallsolarand/orstorage,EV chargingortheliketohelpmanageitsfinal energycosts,oursupportframeworkshould bedesignedtomakethatdecisioneasy,not difficult.

ThegoodnewsforusinNorther nIrelandis thatwecanelectrifymuchmoreofourenergy systemifwechoosetodoso. We havealready madegoodprogresswith renewablestodate inNorther nIrelandthatneedstogetmoving again.

We haveanabundanceoffurtherenergy resourcesforlocalcleanenergyproduction, firstclassstakeholdersoperatinginourlocal energysectorthatstand readyandwillingto collaboratetohelpbringforwardthesolutions, andverygood regionalco-operationwith ourneighboursintheRepublicofIrelandand Britainonenergymatters.

Ifweputallthattogether,whatemergesis aNorther nIrelandwithlowerdependencyand geopoliticalriskinandaroundtheproduction andtransportofoilandgas –whichiswhere wewanttobe. ■

Howsoaringcostsand government failureare hollowing outoneof Belfast’s busieststreets

SeveralbusinessesontheOrmeauRoadhaveclosed injustthelastfewweeks,writes

Inthesummerof2022, apopularramen restaurantonBelfast’sOrmeauRoad announceditsclosure dueto“insane pricehikes”.

Thiswasnottobea one-offand,four yearslater,scoresofotherbusinesseson whatwasonceoneofthecity’smostvibrant thoroughfareshavefollowedsuit.

In recentweeks,thepaceofclosuresseems tohaverampedup,withhalf adozenoncethrivingbusinessesclosingtheirdoors

Centra,Harry’sat387,AsiaSupermarket cafe, anailbar,andLwrOrmeauBakeryand Deliarejustsomeofthebusinessesthathave announcedtheyareshutting.

LwrOrmeauBakeryandDelisaidtheimpact ofthepandemicandrisingcostshavemade continuingtooperate“unsustainable”.

ChrisO’Reilly,directorofRetailZoo,ranthe CentraontheOrmeauRoad,alongwithseveral othershops

Hesaidhisdecisionto shutCentralatelast monthwasduetowhathasbeenbrandedthe “costofdoingbusiness”crisis.

“Alotofthecoststhatwe’renotincontrol ofhavesnowballedexponentially, particularly overthelastfourtofiveyears,”hesaid.

“Payrollisthebiggestportionofourcost base,probablyaroundabout66%to70% ofourcosts.Compared totwoyearsago,it’s £3,500moreexpensiveto employ afull-time employeewhenyoutakeinthewagerisesand

AndrewMadden

nationalinsurancebeing rolledin.

“Thesearefactorsnobodycan really influence,andthenyoufactorincorporation tax,whichisupby7%inthelastfewyears.”

MrO’Reillysaidtheproblemisparticularly acuteforlow-marginbusinesses,whichare labourandenergyintensive,withlittle roomto actuallygenerateprofit.

“The reasonyouseetheseclosures,you’re seeingbusinessmodelsbeingcrushedintonot beingviable —andnotbecausetheoperatoris beingpooratwhatthey’redoingorthey’renot commercial,”heexplained.

“They’rejustgettingcrushedbecausethere’s nobreathingspace.”

Healsopointedoutan“incomprehensible” disparityinwhatfirmsarepayinginratesper squaremetre.

AtCentra,MrO’Reillyhadbeenpaying£350 per squaremetre,comparedto£200for a majorsupermarketnearby,while alargeonline retailerinthecity’sdocklandshasbeenpaying just£170.

IntheautumnBudgetlastyear,Labour increasedtheminimumwageforover-21sby 4.1%fromApril1,whileworkersaged18to 20haveseenan8.5%increase.

Nationalinsurancecontributionswerealso hiked amid abackdropofhigherenergycosts andrisingwholesalefoodandbeverageprices Formanysmaller retailers,thesefactorshave putthemundersignificantpressure.

Earlierthisyear,aStormontrates revaluation exercisethatwouldhaveseensignificantrates increasesformanyhospitalitybusinessand independent retailerswaspausedfollowingan industryoutcry

Accordingto arecent reportbybusiness rescueand recoveryspecialistsBegbies Traynor, businessesherein“critical”levelsofdistress meaningtheyarepotentiallyweeksormonths awayfromclosing —increasedby42%inthe lastquarterof2025.

Aseparate reportbyR3, arestructuring, turnaroundandinsolvencyprofessionalstrade body,foundthatNorthernIrelandexperienced a20%increaseininsolvency-relatedactivityin 2025.

Somesmallbusinessesareundermore pressurethantheywereduringthepandemic, accordingto Westminster’sbusinessandtrade committee.

GlynRobertsofRetailNIsaidbusinesseson theOrmeauRoad,likethoseonotherarterial routesinBelfast,haveworkedhardtohave anofferingthatiscomplementarytothecity centre.

Hesaidthesebusinesshaven’tseenthe sameattentionfromthecouncilandStormont comparedtothoseinthevicinityofRoyal Avenue,particularlywhenitcomestodealing withdereliction.

“Weneed acoordinatedapproachtodealing withdereliction,”hesaid.

“Thatmeanslookingathowwecango furtherusingourratingsystem,notjustin termsofstart-upsbutscale-upsaswell.

“Howdoweget retailplanningpolicyright?

Howdoweget acoordinatedapproachto regeneration?Publictransport?Allofthose things.So,theissuesthattheOrmeauRoadis facingaremuchbroaderthanjusttheOrmeau Road.”

Hesaidthesituationhasmovedfroma “crisistoanemergency”.

“Thebigissueforallthebusinesseswe’ve seenthathaveclosedisthisperfectstorm ofcostincreasesfromthelivingwageand nationalinsurance

“Wepaythemostexpensivebusinessrates anywhereintheUK.Thereisafeelinginmany ofourmembersthattheyarebeingtaxedto death.

“We needtoaddressthis issueofa broken, antiquatedandexpensive ratingsystemwhich isnotfitforpurposeinanyshapeorformand needsstructuralchangestoit.

“Alotofthisisnotnecessarilyaboutmore money,it’saboutgovernmenthaving amuch smarterpartnershipapproach,agreaterjoined-

upapproach.It’saboutcreating alevelplaying fieldandgetting acoordinatedplantogether.

“Isupposethebigtakeawayinallthisis thatweneedtheExecutiveto restorethe HighStreet TaskForcesowecangetthat coordinatedapproach.”

TheHighStreet TaskForcewassetupbythe ExecutiveOfficein2020toaddresstheimpact ofthepandemiconourtownsandcitycentres, with aviewgearedtowards recoveryandlongtermbusinesssustainability

Itoutlined afive-year,multi-department reconstructionplanforourhighstreets,but criticssaidtheyhaveseenlittle realprogress sincethetaskforceproducedthisplanin2022.

“Ithinktheprobleminallofthisisthat responsibilityforourhighstreetsisscattered acrossfiveorsixdifferentdepartments,and theExecutivesadlydoesn’thave agoodtrack recordofworkingtogether,”MrRobertssaid.

“WeneedtheHighStreet TaskForce,but weneed aplantoaddressdereliction. We

needtogetratesfixed. We needtoaddress a coordinatedapproachto regeneration.Give thecouncilspowerover regeneration. Ithink thatwouldbe abighelp.Thatwasalways planned.”

MrO’Reillysaidthatwhiletherehave beenseveral recentbusinessclosuresonthe OrmeauRoad,manynewshopsandeateries haveopenedinthelast18months,including Charlie’sPizzaandtheSoulFoodCafe.

“Thebigthingisthatbusinessesarenot getting achancetoblossom,”hesaid.

“We’reconstantlylookingoverour shoulders.Thereare goodoperatorsoutthere whorun reasonablystrongbusiness,who run reasonablyefficientbusinessmodelsthat arebeingcrushedbycoststhey reallycan’t control.”

Intheend,withnosignof relieffor businessesinsight,manyaresufferingfrom theonethingtheycan’tmeasureinsalesor footfall:uncertainty ■

New£1m wellnesscentre opensin Belfastcitycentre

Anew£1mwellnessventure, whichhasopenedinBelfastcity centre,saysitwantstoprovide beauty,recoveryandrelaxationunderone roof

EntrepreneurCarlyBellHoeyhasjoined forceswithbusinesspartnersDevonPickingand JemmaSerganttolaunchNuraHair,Beautyand Wellness.

Together,thetriohavetransformed a derelict YorkStreetbuildinginto a5,000sqft multipurposewellnessdestination.Itcombines a premiumsalonwithadvanced recoveryfacilities morecommonlyassociatedwithluxuryhotelsor internationalspa resorts.

MsHoeysaidtheconceptwasdrivenby agap inNorthernIreland’swellnessoffering.

“There’snowhereinBelfastwhereyoucan comeinandhavethefullexperience –recovery, relaxation,andhairandbeauty –allinone place,”shesaid.

“Wewantedtocreatesomethingthatfeels premium,likeBaliorDubai,butstillaccessible.”

Thecentrebringstogethertraditionalsalon servicesand acomprehensivewellnesssuite, includinginfraredandtraditionalsaunas, asteam room, ajacuzzi,andmultiplecold-plungepools.

Advancedtreatmentssuchascryotherapy and red-lighttherapyalsofeature,alongside dedicated relaxationspacesandJapanese-style headspa roomsplannedfortheupperfloor

ThenewventurefollowsMs Hoey’sprevioussalonbusiness,BellaireHairand Beauty,onRoyalAvenue.

Ratherthan replicatethatmodel,MsHoey saidshehas“upskilled”theconcept,expanding beyondhairandbeautyintoa fullyintegrated wellnessand recoveryexperience.

“I’vetakentheconceptofhavingeverything underone roofandputitonanotherlevel.This is acompletelynewbusiness,butit’sbuilton everythingwelearnedbefore.”

Nuraoperatesasan AvedaConcept Salon,benefitingfromtrainingandsupport fromtheglobalbeautybrand.MsHoey believesthishashelpedelevatebothservice standardsandcustomerexperience.

“As abrand, Avedaisunbelievable.They haveworld-renownedbeautyspatrainerswho havecomeoverfromSevilletoworkwithus, andtheyhavejust reallytakenusundertheir wing.

“Everytreatmentincorporates aritual-led approach,frompersonalisedscentstomassage

elements.Thisiswhat’sreallygoingtomake Nurastandoutfromtraditionalsalons.”

Nura’sinteriorhasbeendesignedbyLondonbasedspecialistsSalonSisters,withconstruction deliveredbyJMAContracts.

Theproject representsaninvestmentof over£1m,reflectingboththescaleofthe refurbishmentandtheambitionbehindthe concept

“Weinitiallyunderestimatedthesizeofthe project,”MsHoeysaid.

“Thebuildinghasbeenunusedfor20years. Ithadnoelectrics,noheating,nothing.Ithadto becompletely rebuiltfromscratch. We’vealso added amezzanineleveltodoubletheusable space.”

Despitewidereconomicpressures,including risingcostsandnationalinsurancechallenges affectingservice-basedbusinesses,thewomen saythey remainconfidentintheirmodel.

“Ifyou’regoingtoopensomethingofthis scale,youhavetobelieveinit. We’vedonethe figures,andwe’rereadytoputtheworkinto ensureit’sa success.”

Nuracurrentlyemploysaround20staffand isactivelyseekingadditionalbeauticiansand receptionteammembersasoperationsscale. ■

Thebigandsmall inonlinefooddelivery

Onlinefooddeliveriesarenowthenormacrossthe north,butwheredoesthisleavebricksandmortar supermarkets? PavelBarter writes

Amazonplansto‘rollout’its grocerydeliveryservicetoother areasinNorther nIreland,further tothelaunchof‘IcelandonAmazon’in Belfast.

Themulti-national’spartnershipwithIceland allowscustomersintheBelfastareatoshop “thousandsofproducts”fromthesupermarket throughtheAmazonapporAmazon.co.uk. Deliveryisfreeforcustomerswithmembership ofAmazonPrime.“Theserviceiscurrently availabletocustomersineligiblepostcodes inBelfast,”anAmazonspokespersontold UlsterBusiness.“We’llsharemorenewsas wecontinuetoexpandtheservicewithour

partners[whoincludeMorrisonsandCo-op].” Amazonjoins anumberofsupermarket giants –Tesco,Sainsbury’s,andAsda,among them –thatoffercomprehensivehome deliveryacrossNI.NeilJohnston,directorof theNorther nIrelandRetailConsortium(NIRC), describestheir regionaldistributionasakinto alandgrab.“Largestoresarehappytodeliver toareaswheretheydon’thave aphysical presence.Someofthemdeliver30or40 milesawayfromtheirneareststore.They’lldo anythingformarketshare,firstandforemost.” Accordingto recentdatafrom Worldpanel byNumerator,Tescohastheleadingshare ofIreland’ssupermarketscenewith38.9%.

Sainsbury’scomesinsecondwith17.3%, whileAsdahas14.5%andLidl(whichdoes notofferhomegrocerydeliveryinNI)accounts for9.6%.Butwhatimpactistheirdominance ofhomedeliverieshavingonthehighstreet, whichissufferingfrom a25%vacancyrate (thehighestintheUK)?

NeilJohnstonblamesvacanciesmoreon highrates,thanconsumersshoppingonline. “NIRC’smainstreammembershavedozensof storesacrossNorther nIreland.Theyarepicking up aconsiderablerateburden.Ratesaretoo high.Theydatefrom abygoneera.”This mightbewhereAmazon,whooperatesout oflargewarehousesandpartnerswithother supermarkets,isat acompetitiveadvantage. “Butourbiggestissueismoreaboutratesin generalratherthananyparticulargripeabout anybodyenteringthemarket,”saysNeil.

Furthermore,consumerhabitshavebeen undergoingdramaticchanges,continuesGlyn Roberts,chiefexecutiveofRetailNI.“Therehas beenastarkdeclineinthebigweeklytrolley shop.It’smoreaboutmultiplestorevisitsnow andbasketshops.”

Inthistransformed retailworld,some consumersarehappytopayfordelivery, orclickandcollectinstore.Butsmaller, independentgrocershaveadaptedtoo.“When wethinkofonlineshopping,”saysNeil, “wethinkprimarilyofthebigsupermarkets, butthereare examplesofsmaller retailersnationalandprovincialone-stopshops -who runexcellentonlineofferings.”

CastleFarm,whichdeliversvegetables, fruit,grass-fedbeef,andmuchmorefrom itsfarminDundrum,CoDown,isonesuch operation.CastleFarmwasestablishedasa

web-basedorderandhomedeliveryservicein 2008,oneofthe“first[NIfood]businessesto availofsocialmedia”, reckonsNigelHassard, whorunsthebusinesswithhiswifeKatharine andotherfamilymembers:“Ifound aniche.” MostofCastleFarm’sfoodisproducedon thefarm,“but Ialsosourcethemfromother localproducersinthearea. Ialwaystryand givethem afairpriceforanyproducewe’re sellingon. Ifeelit’smoresustainablethatway, whereascontractswiththelargesupermarkets aremorecut-throat.”

Twenty-fivemilesawayinBelfast,David JacksonoperatesJacksonGreenswithhis wifeLois.LikeCastleFarm,theyhavespent 20yearsinbusiness.Theyoperate abricks andmortaroutletinBridgeStreetandstarted deliveringtocustomerswhenthepandemic hit.“We’vehaditeversincethen,”saysDavid.

“We’vekeptitgoing.It’sbeenwordofmouth. Itprobablyaccountsfor10%to15%ofour overallsales.”

ParkingdifficultiesinBelfastledsome customerstoorderonlinefromJackson Greens.“Becauseofourlocation,itsuits peopletoorderonlinebecauseofthehassle gettingparking.”Thebusinesssetsuporders from2am.Ordersleavetheshopat6.30am, viaCityAirExpresscourierservice,andcan beon acustomer’sdoorstepat10.30am.“As farawayasPortstewart,”saysDavid.“It’sa veryquickservice. We getnotifiedwhenthe delivery’sbeenmade.”

JacksonGreens’deliveryservicehas supplementedratherthan replacedfootfall intheirBelfastshop.“Atthestart,customers whocameintothestoreorderedonline.But nowitisfurtherafield.Themajorityofour

GROC ERY&F OOD

deliveriesareoutsideBelfast.”

CastleFarmcovers alargepartofNorthern Ireland:fromCastlewellantoCraigavon; AntrimtoAnnalong.Throughanadherenceto freshness,traceabilityandsupportforthelocal economy,theyfillagapinthemarketwhich thebiggersupermarketscannot,contends NigelHassard.“Alotof[supermarket]meats areimportedfromBrazil,RomaniaorPoland. Cheapercutsofchickenarecomingin fromEaster nEurope.Whencustomersbuy meatfromus,it’sallIrishproduce. Itellmy customers,anythingthat’sinseasonwillbe fromourfarm.”

Smallerbusinessesoffersomethingtohome deliveriesthatbiggeronesdonot,agreesGlyn RobertsofRetailNI.“There’salotofcustomer loyaltyinNorther nIreland.Ourmembershave workedhardtoingrainthemselvesinthe community.It’sofferingsomethingdifferent: ahumanface.Ourmembersseethemselves ascommunityhubs.Inwhatisbecomingan

increasinglydisconnectedworld,we’remuch moreconnected.It’snottryingtocompete withAmazonorbeAmazon.It’saboutbeing different.”

Amazon,meanwhile,plansto“morethan double”thenumberofitsUKPrimemembers whohaveaccesstothreeormoreonline groceryoptions,theirspokespersontoldus. TheirservicethroughIcelandinBelfastincludes freshproduce,buttraditionalshoppers perhapsprefertoseeandfeelthequalityof fruitandvegetablesbeforemaking apurchase.

Thismightbewhereindependent retailers haveanadvantage.JacksonGreenscantailor anorderaccordingto acustomer’sneeds. “Regularcustomersputnoteswiththeir deliveryaboutwhattheydoordon’twant,” saysDavid.“What Ithinkis agoodbanana, somebodyelsemaythink,‘Oh,lookhow greenitis’,or‘lookhowripeitis’.Astime goeson,weknowwhatthosecustomerslike, whichyouwouldn’tgetat asupermarket. We

arrangethatpersonaltouchovertheinternet.”

NigelHassardsays:“Customerstellus,‘The qualityofyourproduceismilesbetterthanthe bigsupermarkets’.Thereisalotoftrust.”

Retail representativesbelievethatbothhigh street retailandonlinegrocerydeliveriescan co-exist.

Despiteworryinglevelsofvacancyratesin highstreets,somesupermarketscontinueto expand.

Lidl recentlyannounceditsintentionto open16newstoresinNIby2032.Iceland recentlyopen anewFood Warehouseatthe RiversideRegionalCentreinColeraineand bothHendersonRetail(whichoperatesSpar andEurosparstores)andMusgrave(SuperValu andCentra)maintain astrongpresenceinNI. “In astrangesortofway,”saysNeilJohnston, “Ithink[stores]benefitfromonlineshopping. Peoplebuy abigshoponlineandthenare happytogotothelocalsupermarkettoaddto it:theconvenienceoftopupshopping.” ■

Musgrave investing£23m inNIstorenetwork

MusgraveNorthern Irelandsays it’sinvesting£23minitsstore networkherethisyear.

Theconvenience retailer,whichoperates theSuperValu,CentraandMacebrands, alsounveiled anewlookconceptstorein NewcastlewiththeopeningofCentraThe Barbican.

Havingservedas aconveniencestoresince the1980s,Barbicanstorehasnowjoined theCentrabrandfollowinganinvestmentof £1.4m.

“This£1.4minvestmentmarksanexciting newchapterforTheBarbican –bringing togetherSuperValu’sstrongfoodheritage andCentra’smoder nconvenienceofferunder one roofand reflectsourcommitmentto offeringlocalshoppersgreatfood,modern convenienceand realvalueformoney,” Trevor Magill,MusgraveNI’smanagingdirector,said.

“AtMusgrave,weareambitiouslyfocused ongrowingourstorenetworkandcontinuing

toinnovatetoprovideourshopperswithwhat matterstothem –notjustexcellentcustomer serviceandvalueformoneybutanextensive rangeofqualityproductswithanemphasis onlocalalongsidenewtechnologiesfora seamlessshoppingexperience.

“Welookforwardtocontinuingtodevelop ourSuperValu,CentraandMacestoresin 2026andbeyond.”

The redesignedstore“delivers amore seamlessshoppingexperience,withan enhancedfreshfoodanddelioffer,great coffeeandfoodonthego,and astandout premiumalcoholrange”,the firmsays.

“Withmorethan400newlinesincluding adedicated‘local’section, akeyfocusofthe storeistheDinnerMadeEasyzone,withan extendedrangeoffreshfoods,qualitymeat, sidesandmealsolutions.”

Thisyear,CentraIrvinestownRoadin Enniskillen recentlyopeneditsdoorsfollowing a£650,000investmentwhileCentra

BallybogeyandCentraMarkethillhavealso joinedtheestate.

TheannouncementfollowedMusgrave’s annual retailerconferenceandStoreofthe Year AwardswhichtookplaceattheSlieve DonardHotelinNewcastle.

Otherwinnersonthenightoftheawards includedoverallbrandwinners –Woods’ SuperValuFruitfield,Curry’sCentraCurrRoad, McPolin’sCentraAnnaclone,Gracey’sMace GasworksandNugent’sMaceMountAlverno Belfast.

Musgraveannouncedannualcharity fundraisingtotalsof£253,000forAction CancerthroughSuperValuandCentrastores whileMacestoresraised£52,000forNIChest HeartandStroke.

MusgraveNorther nIreland,whichsupports theemploymentofover5,000jobs,works with250localsuppliersandinvesting significantlyinlocalcommunities,aswellasin sustainabilityandaffordabilityinitiatives. ■

NIdefence start-ups to receive£50m investmentboost by UK Government

Norther nIrishdefencestart-upsare settoreceive£50mininvestment fromtheUKgovernment.

TheDefenceGrowthDealwillalsosupport smallandmedium-sizedenterprises(SMEs)in thesectorandcreatehundredsofjobs.

UKDefenceMinisterLukePollard,alongside Norther nIrelandOfficeMinisterMatthew Patrick,metwithlocalindustryfiguresin Belfastaspartofthefunding launch.

Collegesanduniversitiesare expectedto benefitfromthecashinjection.

AspokespersonfromtheMinistry ofDefencesaid:“Alongsidethe£50m investment,theUKGovernmentwillalso provideadditionalfundingfor askillsinitiative inNI

“Defencewillworkwithindustry,colleges anduniversitiestodevelopdefence-related skillssuchasengineeringandtechnology, supportingindustryandcreatingmore opportunitiesforstudents.”

DUPleaderGavinRobinsonsaiditwas a majorvoteofconfidenceinlocalindustryand a significantboostforjobs,skillsandinvestment.

“Thisfundingwillsupportlocalbusinesses,

strengthensupplychains,createhighlyskilled jobsandopennewopportunitiesforyoung peopleleavingouruniversitiesandcolleges,” hesaid.

“Norther nIrelandalreadyhasover9,000 peopleemployedinthissectorandgenerated around£2.2bnofbusinesslastyear.This investmentcanhelpgrowthatsuccesseven further

UlsterUnionistMPRobinSwannsaidthe investment“is avitalcommitmenttoNorther n Ireland’sroleinournationalsecurity”.

“Welivein atimeofgrowingglobal instabilitywherethreatsarecontinually evolving,”hesaid.

“Having arobustdefencemustbe anational priority

“Thisinvestmentwillbe amajorboostfor ourlocaleconomybydrivinghigh-skilledjob creationandintegratingourinnovativesmall businessesintotheUKdefencesupplychain andthatiswarmlywelcomed.”

TUVleaderJimAllistersaid:“At atimewhen oureconomyneedsconfidence,jobsandlongtermstability,anycredibleinwardinvestment thatstrengthensourindustrialbaseandcreates

employmentmustbesupported.”

Geopoliticsisboostingdefenceexpenditure acrossEurope.Lastyear,theUKGovernment has reallocatedmillionsofpoundsofmoney earmarkedforforeignaidtoboostitsdefence spendingto2.6%ofGDP

In2022,Norther nIrelandfirmsinthesector generated£1.9bninturnoveranddirectly employedmorethan9,000people,according tofiguresfromtradeassociationADSGroup.

Thedefencesectorhereincludes internationalgiantslikeSpiritAeroSystems andThalestofamilyfirmslikeMallaghan Engineeringand TechnicalMetalsGroup. ■

EX PORT S

Thefamilyfirm now amajorplayer inpackaging

AndrewWard,chiefexecutiveofHub Packaging,speakstoClodagh Traynorabout theCoDownfirm’s valuesandambitions

Afterfourdecadesnavigatingthe worldsofsales,marketingand operations,Andrew Ward tookthe helmof aNorther nIrelandpackagingfirm —andsetitonanewcourse.

AndrewjoinedHubPackagingin2016and becamechiefexecutivethreeyearslater.

OriginallyfromGuernsey,hemovedto EnglandtostudygeographyattheUniversity ofCoventryandlaterearnedanMBAfromthe OpenUniversity.

Underhisleadership,turnoveratHub Packaginghasrisenfrom£3mto£20m —and hisplanshowsnosignsofslowing.

Thepackagingandcontainerscompanynow aims,by2030,todoubleitsturnoveracross theislandofIrelandto£40m.

Foundedin1977byBenCrozier,Hub Packagingprovidespackagingsolutions across arangeofindustries,with afocus onefficiency,waste reductionandproduct protection.

Productsincludesustainablematerials, moder npackagingtechnologies,and equipmentsuchascardboardboxes,wrapping, tapes,protectivewrap,polythene,strapping, andpackingmachinery.

HeadquarteredinRathfriland,nearNewry, andinBalbriggan,CoDublin,thecompany suppliesindustrialpackagingandconsumables acrossIreland.

Nowemploying45full-timestaffacross threegenerations,itisfocusingonlong-term growthwhilecontinuingtooperateasa family-ownedbusiness.

Andrewlooksbackonthecompany’s growthoverthepastdecadeandtalkedabout itsplanstohitfuturetargets.

“WeattributeHubPackaging’sgrowth from£3mto£20moverthepastdecadetoan unwaveringfocusonhiringthebesttalentwe can,andcreatingapositive,inclusiveworking environment.

“Whenteammembersfeelvaluedand

engaged,theyarewellplacedto realisetheir fullpotential.

“In return,we rewardwellforgreat results andtryto rewardeveryoneaswellaswecan. Whenemployeesarerewardedforsuccess, theyaremuchmoreinvestedinthesuccess ofthebusinessandmorelikelytostaylong term.”

Thechiefsaidthatmaintaining acustomerfocusedapproachiskeytothecompany’s growthanditseffortstobecome“aleading packagingprovideracrosstheislandof Ireland”.

“Wehavealsoneverlostsightofthefact thatcustomershavechoicesandtheirloyaltyis notguaranteed.

“Workingtocreatelong-term relationships forlifeisanimportantpartofourapproach. We dothisbybeingthemost reliableservicefocuseddistributorofpackagingsolutions.

“Keyto reachingouraimofdoubling turnoverinIrelandto£40mwillbemaintaining ourcustomer-centricapproachtodevelop customersforlife.

“Whilstwe retaintheseexisting relationships,wearebroadeningourappeal andexpertiseinnewsectors,includingfuture acquisitionstoimprovegeographical reachand sectoralexpertise.”

Despitethefirm’sgrowthin recentyears, Andrewaffirmeditspriorityisto“remaintrue” tothebusiness’soriginalvalues,“our rootsas asmall,familybusinesswith abigheartand bigambitions”.

“Throughoutourgrowthwehavekept ourbrandvaluesincentrefocusandhave dedicatedourselvestoadheringtoour commitmenttobehavewithintegrity,respect andhumilityatalltimes.

“Wealso recognisethe roleweplayinour localcommunityandensureweprojectour valuesbeyondtheworkplacewhenoutinthe community.”

Andsons-in-lawofthefounderBenCrozier

arestillinvolvedinthebusiness.

“DirectorsJulianColdrickandRussell Brennanareheavilyinvolvedinthebusiness on aday-to-daybasisandserveasanongoing groundinginthefamilyvaluesHubPackaging wasestablishedon.

“As aresultoftheiractiveinvolvementin thebusiness,thefamilyvaluessetisasstrong todayasitwaswhenwewereestablished.

“Ourpartnershipapproachtocustomer servicecontinuestoguidedecisionstoday, leadingtocustomersforlife.

“Thedirectorsmeetweeklytosetthetone forthebusinessandensurethefamilyvalues arereflectedineverythingwedo,includingin recruitingdecisions.”

Andrewspokeaboutmanaging amultigenerationalteamandhighlightedtheneed for a“no-blameculture”whenthingsdon’t gotoplan.

“Everymemberofourteamisdifferent, withdifferenttalentsandambitions.Thejobof theleadershipteamistonurtureanddevelop everyindividualandhelpthemfulfiltheir potential,”heexplained.

“Ourcultureiscommunicativeand collaborative,andeveryoneisencouragedto have avoiceandtosharetheiropinionsinthe nameofimprovement.

“Weworktoensureeveryteammemberis empoweredandentrustedtoperformintheir roleand[we]adheretothebeliefthatifyou aregoodenough,youareoldenough.

“Wealsoworktoensurethereisa‘noblameculture’,whichvaluestransparency andlearningfromourmistakes.Whenweget thingswrong,welear nandwemoveon.”

Thebusiness recentlyannouncedthe appointmentofDavidQuigleyasitsnewchief revenueofficer.TheCEOsaidtheappointment, alongsideplannedinvestmentsinwarehouse capacityandteamexpansion,isintendedto supportthecompany’slong-termobjectives.

“Weare thrilledtowelcomeDavidQuigley toHubPackagingasournewchief revenue officer.Davidbrings astrongcommercial leadershiptrack recordand adeep>

understandingofwhatdrivessustainable growthinfast-pacedsectors.

“With20yearsofexperienceinfastmovingconsumergoods(FMCG),including multipleseniorleadership rolesatCoca-Cola Hellenic,Davidbrings aprovenabilityto buildhigh-performingteams,unlocknew commercialopportunities,anddeliver results throughclarity,collaborationanddisciplined execution.

“David’smindsetisfirmlygrowth-oriented andhisstrategicapproach,supportedbyyears ofnavigatingahighlycompetitiveindustry,will play acentral roleinshapingHubPackaging’s nextphaseofexpansion.

“Hisfocusonpeople,performanceand operationalexcellencewillensurethatour commercialteamoperatestothehighest standardsandisfullyequippedtosupport customersin arapidlyevolvingmarketplace.

“Weare excitedfortheimpactDavid willmakeaswestrengthenourcapabilities, accelerateourtrajectoryandcontinuebuilding

abusinesswithlong-termambitionatits core.”

Andrewadded:“Wehaveseveralchange andinfrastructureprojectsinplacetoensure wecandeliver reliabilityandcertaintyto customersaswecontinuetogrow.

“Inadditiontoplanningfor asignificantly increasedwarehousingfootprint,theseprojects alsoincludeinvestmentsinautomationand digitisationtostreamlineprocesses.

“Wehavealso recently rolledout aB2B (businesstobusiness)automatedordering portaltoimproveefficiencyontheHub Packagingsidewhileenhancingtheoverall customerexperience.”

Whenaskedhowthecompany’svision mightevolveby2030,followingthenew leadershipappointment,Andrewsaid:“Our visiontobethepackagingproviderofchoicein ourchosenmarketsisunlikelytochange.”

Heexplainedthatwhatsetsthecompany apartis“prioritisingcustomerneeds,rather thansales,evenasmaterialcostsrise”.

“Intermsofcustomer relations,our customerpackagingaudits,wheretheHub Packagingteamspendstimeworkingwith customerstounderstandtheirprocesses, requirementsandwherewecanbring efficienciesandcutcosts,standsusapartfrom competitorsthroughourdedicationtohelping customersfindthecorrectsolutions.

“Ourgoalistodeliverthebest-fitsolution, notsellingasmuchproductaspossible.

“Inthecurrenteconomicclimatewhere thesectorisseeingpotentialpriceincreases inplasticsof50%andpaperandcardboard of15%to20%,workingwithcustomers to reducetheirpackagingspendismissioncritical.”

Andrewaddedthatthecompany“always aimstodotherightthingratherthantheeasy thing”.

“Weremaincommittedtohelping customers reducedamages,waste,cost, carbonandconsumptionthroughtheir packagingsolutions,”hesaid. ■

High costsand trade frictions blamedforuneven growth inNIeconomy

GrowthintheNorther nIreland economyhasbeen“weakand uneven”sofarin2026, areport hassaid.

TheNIChamberandQueen’sBusiness School reportsaidtherehadbeenlittle evidenceofconfidenceormomentum —even beforetheoutbreakofwarbetweenIranand theUS-Israelalliance.

Their reportfoundthat,overall,the economywasholdingup,butwithoutbuilding enoughmomentumforstrongergrowth.

Justover70%offirms reportedsome levelofprofitability,butthatwasdrivenby moderateratherthanstrongperformance.

Onlyonein10 reportedhighprofitability, while44%saidtheywereonlymoderately profitable.

Costpressureswereverymuchstillinthe picture,somargins remainedunderpressure, evenwhereactivitywasgood.

Businessconfidencewasstillapparent fromtheNIChamber’s research,butwasless buoyantthanattheendoflastyear.

Optimismwassteadybutprofitexpectations weremoresubdued,highlightingcontinued pressureonmargins.

Andinvestmentintentionswerecautious, particularlywhenitcametocapitalinvestment, with areluctancetocommittolarger-scale spending.

Recruitmentactivitydidgetstrongerinthe quarter,butwasfocusedon replacingpeople ratherthanexpansion, reflectingcontinued skillsshortages.

And recruitmentproblemswerepersisting, withallmanufacturerssurveyedandmore thanthree-quarters(75%)ofservicesfirms reportingdifficultiesfindingpeople.

The WindsorFrameworkwasaffecting around46%offirms,andforthoseaffected, themainchallenges relatedtoclarityonNI/EU rules(61%),useofthe TraderSupportService

(45%)and regulatorydivergence(40%).Those impactedcontinuetofacecomplexityandan administrativeburdenfromtherules.

SuzanneWylie,chiefexecutiveofNI Chamber,saidbusinesseswereoperatinginan increasinglychallengingenvironment.

“This reportconfirmsthatevenbeforethe recentescalationintheMiddleEast,businesses inNorther nIrelandwereoperatingin afragile, low-growthenvironment.

“Westand readytoworkinpartnershipwith theUKGovernmenttobestunderstandand supportbusinessesthroughthischallenging period.

“Atthesametime,theNorther nIreland Executivemustnotlosesightofthelongtermstructuralissuesfirmlywithinitscontrol, startingwithputtingNorther nIrelandona crediblepathtofinancialsustainabilitythrough acomprehensive reviewofpublicspending.

“Atthesametime,weurgentlyneed progressonthelong-standingbarriersto growththatcontinuetoholdbackinvestment, particularlyskills,planning,andwastewater

capacityconstraintsthatarepreventing developmentrightacrossNorther nIreland.”

Shesaid reducingunnecessarycomplexityin the WindsorFrameworkwas requiredifitwas toprovidestabilityandcertainty.

“Ontrade,itisvitalthatboththeUKand EUcontinuetoupholdtheircommitments underthelegaltextofthe WindsorFramework tokeepitsoperationunderconstant review.

“Thatmustinclude reviewingthe‘goodsat risk’testtoensureitisassimple,proportionate anduptodateaspossible,and reflects thecapabilitiesofmoder nsupply-chain technology.”

ProfessorRichardRamsey,professorof practiceatQueen’sBusinessSchool,added: “Thequarter-one resultspointtoaneconomy thatisproving resilient,butwhereweak demand,persistentcostpressuresandsevere labourmarketconstraintscontinuetolimit momentum.

“Norther nIreland’srelativeUKperformance increasingly reflects resilienceratherthan stronggrowth.”

This taco recipedoesn’t star your typicallegoflamb… butsomethingmuchpunchier

JohnMulgrew looksat whatyoucandowitha legoflambusingsome smokeandfire,andbig flavoursalongtheway

It’sabouthalf-fiveand,alongside a coupleofglassesof redwine,my mother’slegoflambisgoingdown a treat,includingwiththesmallestmanat thetable.

He’sdefinitelydeveloped apenchantfor alittle redmeathereandthere, recently impressingusallbytakingonsomeverysmall andthinpiecesofdry-agedandheavilymarbled bone-inribeye.

Thelambonthisoccasionwas reasonably traditional —pockedwithlittlepiecesof rosemary,and agoodcrackofblackpepper, servedwith asauceoflambjuicesandwine, andsuitablycrisppotatoes.

Butlambcanalsosoakuplotsofbiggerand bolderflavours,andworkextremelywellwhen treatedtosometimeovercharcoal. Youcando thisintheoven,butyou’llloseoutonsomeof thesmokycharacteristics.

Thistaco recipekeepsthingsassimpleas possible.There’sanadvantagetousingthegrill outside,asyoucanessentiallycookeverything inoneplaceatthesametime.

Thisisalso arecipefocusingonthatbalance ofsavoury, alittlesweetness,butincorporating acidintoyourcooking.Thatbalanceiswhat makeseverythingsing.

I’lladmit,I’vemissedthehypetrainon Tajín. Thisis aMexicancondimentwhichcombines milddrychillieswith alittlesaltand —the staroftheshow —citricacidintheformof dehydratedlime.It’sentirelyadditiveandcan enlivenmostdishes.

Theadvantageitbringsistheabilityto

Legoflambcooked onthebarbecue

introduceconcentratedacid,andflavour, withoutaddingmoisture. Youcanstillsqueeze alimeoverthetopofyourtacosifyouwish, butthisisverymuchallowingyoutoforgothat process.Italsoworksextremelywellifyou’re makingmargaritas.

Startwithyourlegoflamb(ashoulderwill alsowork).Cutsizeabledeepcrevicesintothe meat,andalmostbutterflyittotrytogetitall to asimilarthickness —requiringlesscooking time,aswellascreatinglittlepocketswhichcan

holdflavourforyourdryrub

Foryourrub,combinesaltwithblackpepper, cumin,MSG, alittlegroundinstantcoffee, a touchofdarkcocoapowderand alittlebitof sugar

Coverthemeatinsomeoliveoiland alittle Worcestershiresaucetohelpitstick,thencoat itliberally,ensuringitgetsintothecracksand crevices.

Now,getyourcoalshotandofftotheside, andplaceyourlamblegonthegrill,ensuring

it’sawayfromthedirectheat.Stickonthelid andcookforaroundtwotothreehours.If you’recookingovercharcoal,you’llwantto closeyourventsbyaroundhalfandcookitat around150-160C.

Whilethelambiscooking,throwonthree peppers,anonioncutintofourpieces,and a coupleofchillies.Thiswillformthebedrockof youraccompanyingvegetablesalsa.

Duringcooking,youcangivethelamb alittle spritzofwater,vinegarorlimejuiceasitcooks tokeepitmoist,oradd alittleoliveoilontop. Removeyourvegetablesafteraboutanhour Sliceupandthenblitzusing afoodprocessor orhandblender, whileincorporatinggoodolive oil.Seasonheavilywithsalt,pepper,limejuice

andlimezest. Youwantthistobe roastedand punchytohelpcutthroughthemeatinessand richnessofthelambleg.

Afteryou’vepulledyourlamb,letit restfor atleast20-30minutes.Then,carveintofairly thinslices. Youshouldhave alovelycruston theexteriorand alittlepinkandpurplesmoke ringaroundthefringeswhenyousliceintoit. Mixingsomeofthesmoky,exteriorpieceswith thelessintenseandmoremoistmeatwithin willgiveyouthebestfinishedproduct.

Whenit’stimetopulleverythingtogether, brushyourcornorflourtortillaswith alittle garlicbutterandstickthembackonyourgrill, flippinghalfway,andensuringtheydon’tget toomuchcolour.It’llalldependonhowmuch

heatisleftinthecharcoals.Alternatively,you canheatthemupin adry,non-stickpan. Now,add alittleofthevegetablesalsato yourtaco,followedbysomeofyourlamb. Add alittlemoresalsafollowedbysomefinely choppedchivesandthen agoodsprinklingof Tajín.Themorethemerrier.It’lladdmore acid thanheat,soaddsomefreshchillisoryour favouritehotsauceforsomeaddedfire.

Adecent-sizedlegoflambwilldo asizeable groupofpeopleifservingastacos.Andyou canstretchthingsfurtherbyaddinganother vegetablecomponenttothedishifyouwish. Corntortillasalsoworkbest. Youcanpick themupinmostspecialistfoodshops,online, ormakeyourownusingmasa ■

This crispyduckbreastwith confitonionsandchimichurri packs alotofpunch

◆ THEDUCK

Justlookatthatfatcap.

Duckmayhavecharacteristicsmoreakin tosomethinglikebeeforlamb,butitneeds treatedverydifferentlyfromitsmammalian counterpart,mostlyduetothatfaton the outside.Itaddsheapsofflavourandkeeps thingsmoistandtender

Thefirsttime Icookedduck, alackof

JohnMulgrew takeson aduckbreast,boosted withrichslow-cookedonions, afierychimichurri, andcrispmatchstickpotatoes

knowledgeandexperienceledtoundercooked meat,a somewhatcharredexterior,andmuch ofthefatleftunrendered.

There’satechniquetocookingduckbreast,

andit’snotaboutsearingheatandpre-heated pans.Thisdishispackedwithflavour –especiallyfromthefirey,acidicandherbaceous chimichurri,sokeepseasoningsimple.

Removefromthefridgeatleast30minutes before cooking,trim,andscorethefatwith asharpknife,beforescoringintheopposite direction. Tryandnotcutthroughthemeat itself.Seasonwithsaltanda littleblackpepper

Startwith alowtomediumheatandplace thebreastskin-sidedown.You’llendupdoing mostofthecooklikethis.

You’llfindatremendousamountoffatwill slowly renderoutoverthenextfewminutes, butwhatwillalsohappenistheskinwillget tighterandcrispnesswillfollow

Liftthemeatoccasionallytoseehowmuch colouryou’re getting,andlowertheheat ifthingsaregettingtoodark,tooquickly Youwantdeep,goldenbrown,andmost importantly,muchofthatfattocookout –leavingyouwithmoistmeatandavoiding a thicklayerofunrenderedandchewyfat.

Onceyoustartgettingsomegoodcolour, flipand cookontheothersidefor acoupleof minutes,then returntothefatsidetofinish off. Youcanflipagaintothemeat sideifyou’re worriedaboutgettingtoomuchcolouronthe bird.

Dependingonthesizeofyourduckbreast, thiswilltakeanywherefrom10to20minutes oftotalcooktime.

Some restaurantsoptformediumrare onduck,butIthink,givenitstightermuscle structure andsurprisingleaness –fatcapaside –itworksbettermedium. Youwant aniceblush pinkthroughout.

◆ THECONFITONIONS

Youcanaddlotsofthingstothissimple preparation,butinthisinstance,keepthe onionstothefore–you’llhaveplentyof competingkickelsewhere.

Slicethreeorfourlargewhiteonionsand seasonwithsaltandpepper.Addto alarge potwith alittleoiland agoodknobofbutter Cookdowngentlyon alowheat.Thiswilltake sometime. Youdon’twant asoupymess,but eversogentlecookingwith alittlesubtlecolour formingovertime.

Addinsomewateralongthewayifitbegins todryupandcontinuecooking.Addin asplash of Worcestershiresauce, adropofsoysauce, and adashofwhitewinevinegarandcookuntil soft,butstillretainingshape.

◆ THECHIMICHURRI

ThisArgentinianherb-focusedsauceis anincrediblypopularandubiquitous accompanimentinitsnativecountry,andother SouthAmerican regions.It’sveryboldand youcantweakbasedonyourowntastesand preferences.

Startwith abigbunchofflatleafparsleyas thebedrock.Forthisversion, Ilikeadding afew basilandtarragonleaves,too,forsomevariety, butitisn’ttraditional.

Blitzin afoodprocessorwithsalt,black pepper,one redchilli,chilliflakes(ifyouwant extraheat), redwinevinegar,acloveofraw garlic,oregano,thezestofhalf alemon,and

addingoodoliveoilasyoudo. Youwantit well-combined,butnotovermixed.Youwant ittobespoonable,butstillbeabletoseethe piecesandflecksofherbs.

◆ THEMATCHSTICKFRIES

You’llwant agoodchippotatoforthis,such asMarisPiperorRooster

Ifyoucanhave afineenoughsliceror mandolin,thenyoucanusethat,otherwise roughlypeelyourspudsandthensliceinto fineslicesofaround3mm,andthenintothin fries.

Washseveraltimesincoldwater,removing thewaterasyoudo.Now,dryoffwellwith a papertowelbeforecooking.Ifyou’releaving them awhile,add adashoflemonjuice(to avoidoxidisation)andsticktheminthefridge. Ifcookingonce,getyouroilhotandaddin smallbatches.Theywon’ttakelongtocook andcolour.Youwantlightlycrispandlightly browned.

Youcanofcoursegodownthetwicecooked route,andyouwillget acrisperfinish Removeandputonto adryingrackor papertowelandseasonwithfinesalt. Iopt for amixtureofvinegarpowderandsaltfor someaddedacidity.AngusandOinkdoes a greatSeaSaltandMaltmixwhichfeelslikeit wasmadeforchipsandfishsuppers. Sliceyourduckbreastandplaceontop of ahealthyservingofyouronions,with chimichurriandfriesontheside. ■

Topof theculinary chopson afood journeyacrossDerry

JohnMulgrew spends adayinDerrytotakeonsome ofthebestfoodanddrinkthe WalledCityhastooffer

Ifyoudon’tliketheweatherinIreland waitfiveminutes

Whetherthistweakedversionofthe phraseoriginallyhailsfromthewordsofMark Twainornot,it’snonethelessentirelyapplicable tothisislandweallshare.

Aquicksnapas Ibegan aculinaryjourney acrossDerrywasbacklitbybrightmorning sunshine.Momentslater,andhalfwayacross thePeaceBridge,theheavensopened.Ishould havebroughtanumbrella.

AsI’vewrittenbefore,Derry’sculinarychops areontheup.It’snowblessedwithallmanner ofinterestingplacestospend afewquid –fromfoodvanstofinedining,andeverything inbetween.

Thefirststoponthis,thankfullynow dryFridaymorning,isStitchand Weave atEbringtonSquare.Thisareahasbeen transformed,particularlyoverthelastdecade,

andnowboasts asuitableplethoraofthings toeatanddrinktowarrant avisittothe Watersidealone.

Aheftyaranciniisbeefedupthankstosome punchyDartMountainSperrinBlueCheese, andpairedwith amediumdryRedgateCider Whatbeganas ahobbyforbusinessman GordonChambershasblossomedinto a produceusing avarietyofapplevarieties, withouttheuseofchemicals.

Stitchand WeavenowhaschefNiallGorham inthekitchen,formerlyofSikabyNiall,and a cookwith astrongCVand apenchantforwild game

TheFold,located ashortdistanceawayfrom both Stichand Weave,andtheEbringtonHotel is asmallcaféandoutdoorcourtyard– framed instonewallsontheedgeofthesquare Andthere’sseriouscookinggoingoninside MarkandShaunaFroydenlundspentmore

than adecadebehindthestovesofLondon’s topkitchens,includingtheirtimeatMarcus Wareing’sformer restaurantattheBerkeleyin Knightsbridge.Acrosstheriver,thepairhave nowalsotakenontherunningofShauna’s family restaurant,TheExchange –setupbyher fatherMarkCaithness.

Theporkbellydoughnuthashelpedput themonthemap,butthere’satightmenuof particularlyinterestingthingsonofferhere.

Thepasteldenata –aPortuguesecustard tart –isaboutasclosetoperfectionasit comes.Thepastryislayeredanddeeplycrisp, thecustardlightlyspicedandjustholding togetherwithplentyofrichdairy

Thebakingtakes afront rowseatinhowthe menucomestogether.“Thebreadcomesfirst,” Shaunasays.

Helpingguideusthroughthestreetsof

thishistoriccityon adaywithbothblistering sunshineandcrispair,pockedwithpatches of torrentialrain,isEmilyMcCorkell.

SherunsDerrybyFork,whichoperates a seriesofdifferenttoursacrossthecity,takingin someofDerry’stophospitalityspotsandlocal producealongtheway

El TapasGrahasbeen afoodfixturein Derryforyears,andhasnow recentlychanged ownership.

It’salittlepocketofsunshineinthecity centre,withgoodwine,crispandrich croquettes,punchysmallbites,andan extensivemenu,whichtheowneriskeento switchupthroughouttheyearandseasons.

ASpanishtortillastillhasthatwelcomelittle jiggle,while remainingintenselysavoury NotfarawayisSalumeriaMariuccia.

ThislittleItaliandeliisrunbyAntonioLovati

–servingupmeats,cheese,andsourdough, withplanstobeginmakingbreadandfresh pasta.

Adanderdownoneofthecity’smain pubthoroughfaresof WaterlooStreetand wefindO’Loughlin’s.It’ssprawlingwithlots ofcharacter,aswellasservingupsolidpub fare.Butit’sthe‘WeeBar’whichdrawsthe attention.

Thecurrentownershavetransformed whatwasonce astoreroomintooneof thecity’ssmallestbars –acosy,quaintode tothetraditionalIrishpub,withplentyof adornmentonthewallsand asnugandhomey atmosphere.Nestle aGuinnessand relax ReturningacrossthePeaceBridgebringsus tothedigsforthisevening.Openingitsdoors in2023,TheEbringtonis asizeablefour-star hotelboasting89rooms, abarand restaurant,

locatedin abuildingwhichdatesbackto1842.

Andjustnextdoorsitsthe WalledCity Brewery.Thiswasoneofthefirstfoodand drinkbusinessestoopenitsdoorsfollowingthe regenerationanddevelopmentoftheEbrington Squaresite –launchedbyJamesandLouise Hueybackin2015.

Asthenamesuggests,itproducesitsown beers,alongside abuzzing restaurant.

Onthebrewingfrontonthisoccasion, there’sacrisphoppylager,mangopaleale,and heftymintimperialstout –evokingflavours ofthat‘waferthin’(saidinthestyleofJohn CleeseintheMeaningofLife)after-dinner chocolate.

Thebeefcheekisunctuousandsticky,the crispydumplingsjoinedby asuitabledusting ofdriedchilli,saltandumamiheft,while a tiramisuissoft,creamy,andmoist. ■

Revealed: theNIdriving test centre with thehighestpassrate

Craigavon’sTestCentrehadthe highestpassratefordrivingtestsin Northern Irelandin2025at65.4%, accordingtonew research.

CarinsuranceexpertsatCompareNI.com, saidthereare stark regionaldifferencesin drivingtestpassratesforprivatecarsacross Norther nIreland.

Its researchhasshowntheDriverand VehicleAgency(DVA)centres,amongthe14 acrossNorther nIreland,wherelearnersare findingithardesttoobtaintheirlicence.

Compareni.comcalculatedpassratesat eachDVAtestcentrebyaveragingquarterly datafor2025,publishedbytheDepartment forInfrastructure.

Ian Wilson,carinsuranceexpertand managingdirectoratCompareni.com,said: “Whereyoutakeyourdrivingtestcanhavea bigimpactonyourchancesofpassingandthat ismainlydowntothedrivingenvironment.

“Thelatestfiguresshowsomelocations

aresignificantlyoutperformingothers,with passratesvaryingbymorethan20%between sometestcentres.”

Craigavonwasfollowedcloselyby Downpatrick(64.7%)andEnniskillen(64.5%) asthetestcentreswiththesecondandthirdhighestpassrates.

Andattheotherendofthescale,busier urbanareasshowlowersuccessrates,with Belfast recordinganaveragepassrateofjust 47.2%.

Thelocationwiththelowestpassrateofall isHydebankat45%,accordingtoCompareni. com

Mr Wilsonsaid:“Whilethesamecoreskills arebeingassessedinurbanandruraltest centres,eachhasitsownsetofchallenges, and awell-roundeddriverneedstobe comfortabledrivinginbothenvironments.”

Overall,56,898learnerstooktheirdriving testin2025,butonly52.9% –around30,104 –passed.

Compareni.comsaidthatfailing adriving testcanhave asignificantfinancialknock-on effectforlearners,particularlyyoungdriversor thoseon atighterbudget.

Compareni.comalsosaidthatwithnew graduateddriverlicensinglawscominginto forceinOctober,thereisthepotentialfor asurgeindrivingtestdemandaslearners looktoattaintheirlicencebeforethechanges arrive.

Norther nIrelandwillbecomethefirstUK regiontoadoptgraduateddriverlicensing,in amovetohelp reducethenumberofyoung peoplekilledorseriouslyinjuredonour roads.

Itwillbethebiggestoverhaultodriving lawsherein70years,introducingnewrules including asix-monthwaitforlearnerdrivers beforetakingtheirpracticaltest.

Oncetheypass,newdriverswillfacean extended‘R’plateperiodfrom12monthsto 24months,aswellas restrictionsonnighttime drivingandpassengernumbers. ■

Motoring

PatBurns

SSuzukiunveilsitsfirstEV

uzukihaslaunchedits firstfully electriccar,the eVitara.

Itisofferedwitheither49kWhor 61kWhbatterycapacitiesaswellasoptional Allgrip-e,Suzuki’snewlydevelopedelectric four-wheeldrivesystem.

Itisoneofonlytwocarsinitsclasstooffer fourwheeldrive.Havingdrivenbothfront wheeldriveand rearwheeldriveelectric vehiclesinsnow,neitherperformedatall well,withthecombinationofweightofthe batteriesandwidetyresmakingtractionvery poor.

Suzukiaresoproudoftheirfourwheeldrive heritagethatthelaunchofthenewmodel included atrip roundtheoff-roadcourseat PowerscourtinCo Wicklow.The eVitarawas mightilyimpressiveinthemuckytracks.While youmightnevergooffroadinginone,ifyou everhavetodriveanEVinsnoworicy roads thisistheonetohave.

AvailableonbothMotionandUltrawith 61kWh,Allgrip-eisanelectric4WDsystem thatemploysseparatemotors(eAxles)forthe frontand rearwhichallowseachmotorto beindependentlycontrolled.Thetwomotors enabledynamicdrivingwith amaximum

torqueof1.5timesmorethanthe2WD version.

Thisis anew Vitarathatmovesthemodel furtherupmarketwithhigherqualitystyling andtrimandismanufacturedatSuzuki’s GujaratfacilityinIndia.TheJapanese manufacturercurrentlytakes49%ofthenew carmarketinIndia.

The61kWhMotionoffersheateddriver’s andfrontpassengerseats,heatedsteering wheelandheateroutletfor rearseat occupants.

Movingupto61kWhUltramodelsadds 19-inchalloywheels,wirelessphonecharger, Adaptivehigh-beamsystem,Infinityaudio systemwithsubwoofer,360-degreecamera, glass roofpanel,LEDfrontfoglamps,10-way poweradjustabledriver’sseatandhalfsyntheticleatherseatmaterial.

ThenewHeartect-eplatformwasdesigned specificallyforthe eVitaratomaximisecabin spaceanddrivingrange.

Theelectricmotoroutputisratedat 106kWfor49kWhmodelsand128kWfor 61kWh2WDmodels;Allgrip-eversionsadd areareAxlewith48kWmotorpower,witha combinedmaxoutputof135kW,duetofront

and rearmotorpowerdeliveryphasing,and 114Nmofadditionaltorqueavailable.

In responsetoUKGovernment communication regardingtheElectricCar Grant(ECG);Suzukihasitfullycoveredfor its retailcustomerslookingtogoelectric withSuzukiGranted,itsself-fundedand veryattractiveofferforthehighlyspecifiede VITARArange.

Takingthe49kWhMotionmodelasan example,thisnowtakesthelaunchpricefrom £29,999to£26,249, representing acustomer savingof£3,750.Theofferisapplicable acrossthefive-model eVITARArangeand equivalenttothehigher-levelGovernment grant.

Forthoselookingat financeoffers, eVitara isavailablewith2.9%APRonPCP.Takingthe 2WD61kWhMotiongradeasanexample, thisequatestojust£299 amonthpayable over47monthsafteraninitialdepositof £5,599ismade. Afinalpaymentis required shouldtheownerwishtokeepthecaratthe endofthePCPagreement.

Thisisthe firstoffournewEVstocome fromSuzukiinthenextfewyearsandit certainlyisofftoanimpressivestart. ■

Newentr ylevel iX3offerslatesttech

BMWissettolaunch anewentry leveliX340 –theseconddrive systemvariantofthefullyelectric ‘NeueKlasse’sportsactivityvehicle.

Equippedwith a320hpelectricmotorand rear-wheeldrive,thenewmodelvariantshares bothitsstylingandtechnologywiththeiX350 xDrive.

ThenewiX340ispoweredbynewsixthgeneration(Gen6)BMWeDrivetechnology developedspeciallyfortheNeueKlasseand offersanelectricrangeofupto395miles.All componentsaredesignedfor800Vtechnology. Anelectricmotorisintegratedintotherear axleanddrivesthe rearwheels.Theelectric motordevelops320hpand500Nmoftorque. Thenewmodelacceleratesfrom restto62 mphin5.9secondsbeforereaching atop speedof124mph.

Itslithium-ioncellshave20%greaterenergy densitythantheprismaticcellsusedforGen5

BMWeDrivetechnologyandareintegrated directlyintothehigh-voltagebattery.The constructionoftheiX3turnsthebatteryinto astructuralcomponentofthevehicleand reducestheamountofmaterial requiredand cutsweight.

Themaximumchargingrateis300kW whenpluggedinto afast-chargingstation. DoingsoenablestheiX340tobetoppedup withenoughenergytoaddupto186miles toitsrangeinjust10minutes.Theenergy contentofthehigh-voltagebatterycanbe increasedfrom10to80%ofitscapacityinjust 21minutesat aDCchargingstation.

ACchargingatupto22kWisalso available.Themulti-modaloperatinglogicof theBMWPanoramiciDrivecombinestouch, hapticandvoice-basedinteraction.TheBMW IntelligentPersonalAssistanthelpstooperate thewindows,airconditioningandseating comfort,managephonecalls,controlin-car

entertainmentandmore.Itcanalsobeused tocallupmanyfunctionmenusandoperate certainapps.

TheNeueKlassetechnologyisdesignedto makedrivingpleasureabetterexperience. Thisisunderpinnedbythenewelectronics andsoftware,wherefour‘superbrains’bring customers atop-classdrivingexperience.These high-performancecomputersdelivermore than20timesgreaterprocessingpowerthan thoseutilisedwithinpreviousmodels.

The‘HeartofJoy’controlcomputerwith BMWDynamicPerformanceControlsoftware, developedfullyin-house, respondstentimes fasterthanprevioussystemstoprovide effortless,agileandassuredhandling,while alsosettingnewdynamicstandards.Another milestoneistheSoftStopfunction.Thanks toprecisecontroloftheelectricmotor,the newiX340brakesto acompletehaltwithout anyjerksornoise,deliveringthesmoothest stoppingprocessinthehistoryofthebrand.

ThenewBMWiX340willbeavailablehere inthesummerandispricedfrom£53,250. ■

WilltheFourscoreagain?

UlsterBusiness readersof acertain agewill remembertheRenault4, asmallbudgetpricedworkhorse of acarthatprovedverypopularfrom thesixtiestothemid-eighties.Overeight millionwereproducedaroundtheworld andclosertohometheR4wasassembled in afactoryin Wexfordfor20years.

FastforwardthirtyyearsandRenaulthas justlaunched anewR4.Buoyedbythesuccess ofitsRenault 5EV, asyetuntestedbyUlster Business,theFrenchmanufacturerhasgiven theR4 a21stcentury revampandthe 4E-Tech isonlyavailableasanEV.

TheoriginalRenault 4canbeneatly summedupinoneword:versatility.Thenew R4aimsto reflectcustomerusageaswidelyas possible.

To thisend,itwasdesignedforeveryday needsaswellasforweekendsandleisure. Demonstratingitsversatility,the 4E-Tech electriccombinesexceptionalbootspacewith amodularlayoutthatisnewtothissegment. Itincludes420cubiclitresofspace, alowload sill,ingeniousstoragecompartments,anda folding rearbenchseat.

Atthesametime,theincreasedground

clearanceensures acomfortableride,bothon roadsandonbumpytracks.Allthesefeatures, alongwithimpressiveinteriorspace,onepedal functionandrangeofupto248miles,were madepossiblebythededicatedAmpRSmall platform,theonlyoneofitskindinEurope. Sharedwith 5E-Techelectric,thisplatform deliverssignificanteconomiesofscale,withno trade-offsforcustomers.

The 4E-Techelectricisalsopackedwith advancedcomfortandsafetytechnology, includingactivedriverassistforleveltwo assisteddriving,alongsidenumerousother drivingaides,andmysafetyswitch.This popularfunctiononnewRenaultmodelslets driversactivatetheirpreferredsettingsforfive ADASfeaturesatthetouchof abutton.For enhancedsafety,thenewdynamicbraking systemcombinesbrakingandESPinthesame moduletohalve reactiontime.Otherfunctions includeFiremanAccessandoccupantsafeexit alert,aswellassafetyscoreandsafetycoach, alreadyavailableontheScenicandthe5 E-Techelectric.

Thenew 4E-Techelectricalsoincludesthe OpenRLinkmultimediasystemwithGoogle built-in,aswellasReno,theofficialRenault

avatar.WorkingwiththeChatGPTartificial intelligencechatbot,Renocompletesthe rangeoftechnologiesavailableonRenault4 E-Techelectric.Its roleistohelpcustomers understandaspectsoftheirvehicle,aswellas providinghelpfultipsalongtheway.

Staking aclaimtoversatility,themain Renault 4E-Techelectricmodelcombines a52 kWhbatterywith a110kWmotor,for aWLTP rangeofupto248miles.

The52kWhlithium-ionbatteryusesNMC (nickelmanganesecobalt)technology.It comprisesfourlargemodulesinonecasing. Thissimplifiedarchitecturebringsweight savingsof20kgcomparedwiththeRenault Zoe.As aresult,thebatterynowweighsless than300kg.

BaseddirectlyonthemotorofMegane E-TechelectricandScenicE-Techelectric,the 110kW(150bhp/245Nm)motorofthe4 E-Techisthesameasonthe 5E-Tech. With thismotor,4E-Techacceleratesfrom0-60mph inunder8.5secondsandfrom50-75mph inundersevenseconds.Thetopspeedis electronicallylimitedto93mph.

Pricesstartfrom£27,195andtheR4 qualifiesforthe£3,750governmentgrant. ■

Co Antrimcardealership announces £75,000 investment asitmarks35years inbusiness

ACoAntrimfamily-runcardealership hasannouncedaninvestmentof £75,000asitmarks35yearsin business.

NewandusedcardealershipStephen MawhinneyMotorssaidithad refurbished itsworkshop, redesignedits receptionand revampeditscorporatebranding,including newuniformsforitssevenstaffmembers

Thedealership,onMillRoadinBallyclare, saidthechangeshadcontributedto astrong businessperformance,with2025provingtobe oneofitsbestyears –despiteanoverall dropin newcarssoldinNIovertheyear

StephenMawhinney,managingdirectorof thefirm,said: “Reaching35yearsin businessis somethingI’mextremelyproudof

“Themotortradehaschangedmassivelyin thattime;fromhowpeople researchcars,to theexpectationsaround transparency,aftercare anddigitalengagement.

“Butthefundamentalsoftrust,qualitystock andpersonalservicehavenevershifted,and that’swhathaskeptusgrowing.”

AccordingtofiguresfromtheSocietyof MotorManufacturersand Traders(SMMT)the numberofnewcars registeredinNorthern Irelandin2025wasdown9%in2025.

MrMawhinneysaidthatwhenthebusiness wasfoundedin1991,the roadswere dominatedbycompactmanualhatchbacksand smallfamilycars.

“Todayit’sacompletelydifferentpicture SUVsandcrossoversareeverywhere,people wantthehigherdrivingposition,morespace andversatilityforfamilyandwork.

“Thetechnologyhaschangedjustasfast. We’vegonefromstraightforwardpetrol enginestohybrids,mild-hybridsandfully electricoptionsbecoming anormalpartofthe buyingconversation.”

Hesaidthatthesectorshadfacedmany challengesoverthedecadesfrom recessionsto supplychainproblems –andmost recently,new rules resultingfromBrexitonthemarkingof carsbeingsoldinNorthernIreland.

MrMawhinneysaidchallengeshad“driven alotmoredemandintotheusedsector,with

peopleholdingontocarsforlongerandbeing veryvalue-focusedwhentheydochange”.

“Butdespiteallofthat,onethinghasn’t shifted:peopleherestill relyontheirvehicles everydayandtheywanttobuyfromsomeone theytrust.”

Thecompanyhassevenstaffmembers, includingMrMawhinney’stwosons,Alexand Rhys.

SalesmanagerThomasDuncanhasbeen withthefirmfor33years,whiletechnician JonathanSnoddyhasworkedatthebusiness for30years.

Thecompanysaiditwillsoonannounce a newpartnershipwithBrainwaveNI –acharity whichitsaidheld“specialsignificance”.

MrMawhinneysaid:“Celebrating35 yearsisn’tjustaboutlookingback,it’sabout investing,improvingandgivingsomething back.

“We’regratefultoourcustomers,ourstaff andtheBallyclarecommunityforsupportingus overthedecades,andwelookforwardtothe nextchapter.” ■

APPOIN TM EN TS

Re-Genhasappointed TonyDemaine aschiefoperationsofficer,further strengtheningthecompany’sexecutive board,asitcontinuestoscaleits operationsanddrivesustainablegrowth.

MillsSelighasappointedAislingO’Hare ascommercialpartnerjoiningits corporateteam.Shebringsover10years ofexperienceadvisingoncommercial contracts,intellectualproperty,anddata protection.

MillsSelighasappointedBernieMcCloskey aslegaldirectortoitslitigationteam.She bringsextensiveexpertiseinhigh-value, complexcommercialdisputesandproperty litigation.

DeniseKennedyisnowassociate operationsdirectorat TitanicBelfast. Withover20yearsofexperienceacross retail,eventsandtourismoperations,Ms Kennedyhasbuilt astrongreputationfor deliveringoperationalexcellence.

KevinKeenanisnowgeneralmanager ofhospitalityat TitanicBelfast.Mr Keenanhas16yearsofexperienceinthe hospitalityindustry,with astrongfocuson hotel,cateringandeventoperations.

UlsterBankhasappointedKentonHilman asitsMid-MarketChampioninNorthern Ireland,oneof12thatNatWestGroup hasappointedacrosstheUKnationsand regions.

PaddyHenryhasbeenpromotedto seniordirector,propertyandfacilities management,atCBRENI.Hehasworked with awiderangeofclients,including propertydevelopers,financialinstitutions andinvestmentfunds.

OpenreachhasconfirmedLauren McGaugheyasdirectorforOpenreach NorthernIreland,following ahighly successfulyearintheroleonanacting basis.

MarkSouthgatehasbeenappointed commercialdirectoratMcColgan’s.With20 years’experienceinfast-movingconsumer goodsandfoodmanufacturinginScotland andNorthernIreland,hewillleadthe commercial,newproductdevelopmentand procurementteams.

1. CleaPrimarySchoolin Keady,CoArmagh,hasbeen revealedasa winnerinthis year’s BrennansDoughIt Yourself –TheGreatBread Challenge.

2. EnvironmentMinisterMuir launchesthe WildfireActionPlan forNorther nIreland.DAERA andpartnersincludingNorthern IrelandFire& RescueServicewill collectivelyworktodeliveronits objectives.

3. Radiushasannounced anew partnershipwithWeev,enabling RadiusOnecustomerstoaccess Weev’sgrowingnetworkofEV chargersandservicesacross Ireland.

4. ConstructionEmployers Federation(CEF)chiefexecutive MarkSpence,Ministerfor InfrastructureLizKimmins,and CEFpresidentBryan Vaughan atthe2026Norther nIreland ConstructionDinner.

5. Anew reportshowsthe WarrenpointHarbournow handles£3.4bnworthoftrade annually.PicturedareWarrenpoint HarbourAuthoritychiefexecutive DavidHolmes,AndrewPark, GrantThornton,andDrGerard O’HareCBEDL,chairmanofthe harbour.

6. OnJune 5ActionCancer willhosttheBreastFoot ForwardWalk,sponsoredby SuperValu.JoiningAction CancerBreastCancer AmbassadorBronagh Mulholland(centre)tolaunch thewalkarehertwosisters, MariaMcKeownandLisa Cromie,MeabhLenehan,and CarolMarshall.

7. Thousandsofvisitorswillonce againstepbehindthefarmgate thissummerasBankofIreland OpenFarm Weekend returnsfrom June12to14.

8. NIENetworkshasbegun usingdronestoinstallnew real-timesensors.Picturedare StianFjeldstadandEmilMatre Birkeland,CaronMalone,and PeterGlover,NIENetworks.

9. Neurovalenshashaditsfirst productapprovedforsalein EuropeandtheUKafterachieving EUMedicalDeviceRegulation (MDR)complianceforModius Sleep.PicturedareIainHendrick, Sinead Watson,JasonMcKeown, andChrisMcCabe.

10. The10thAll-Island Women inBusinessEntrepreneurs Conference returnsonJune4, withAIBastitlesponsor.Pictured areRoisinMcDermott,headof entrepreneurshipat Women inBusinessandAIB’sheadof businessbanking,KarenKidd.

11. MarkingLowryBuilding& CivilEngineering’s50thyear inthewaterindustryand theircontributiontokeeping waterflowingacrossNIare IanLowry,JemmaCatterson, HelenLowry,AdamLowry andKimLowry.

12. The WeVentureprogramme hasbeenlaunchedby InterTradeIrelandinpartnership withInvestNIandEnterprise Ireland.PicturedareAnne Lanigan,AislingKing,Elaine Patterson,andMaryGormley.

13. ThenewNorther nQuarterat BelfastInternationalAirporthas officiallyopenedtopassengers, with a£1minvestmentbyMount Charles.PicturedareStacey McAlister,DanOwens,andKate Sherry.

14. DownRoyalRacecourse confirmsFibrusBroadbandas headlinesponsorofitspopular FamilyRaceDay.Picturedare Connie,Ruby,andFrankie, picturedalongsideSummerthe therapypony.

15. PaulaMcIntyre,LizSteele, cultureandtourismmanagerat TourismNI,SharonScott,place anddestinationMarketingexpert andColinUrwin,storyteller, picturedatthe recentUS 250ExperienceDevelopment Programmeworkshop.

16. ChrisThompsonfrom Tearfund,ElannaMcGowan andBethanyPriestleyfrom SparNI,withpupilsfrom AshfieldGirlsHighSchool whoarepassionateabout readingtofurthertheir education.

17. CommunitiesMinisterGordon Lyonshasannouncedanincrease intheCo-Ownershipproperty valuelimittohelpsupportmore peopleandfamiliesintohome ownership.He’spicturedwith MarkGraham,chiefexecutiveof Co-Ownership.

18. DrinksIrelandbrought togetherSecretaryofStatefor Norther nIrelandHilaryBenn,and ahostofotherseniorpolitical leaders,withdistillersandspirits producersfromNorther nIreland at WestminsterPalace.

19. Norther nIreland’sworld classtourismsectorhasbeen showcasedon aglobalstage at TourismNI’sMeettheBuyer event.PicturedareLauraMcCorry, TourismNI,EconomyMinister DrCaoimheArchibaldandAlice Mansergh, TourismIreland.

20. GalgormCollectionis marking15yearsofsupportfor SimonCommunity,havingraised £180,000.PicturedareMarianne McCaul,SimonCommunity Ballymena,ColinJohnston, GalgormCollection,andHarriett Roberts,SimonCommunity Norther nIreland.

21. EnvironmentMinister AndrewMuirMLAdelivered thekeynoteaddressatthe RenewableNISmartEnergy conferenceinBelfast. He’spicturedwithGerard Carlin,NeasaQuigley, MarkRichardson,andBrian Hegarty.

22. TheFirstMinisteranddeputy FirstMinisterhavecutthefirst sodat anewyouthhubwhich willtransformservicesforyoung peopleinthegreaterArdoyne areaofnorthBelfast.Theyare picturedwithThomas Turley,and LordMayorofBelfast, TracyKelly.

23. HendersonGroup’sKathy SimpsonandPatrickScullion, andHelenBowman,Businessin theCommunity, encourageHR professionalstoattendthisyear’s Healthy WorkingLivesConference attheGalgormResort &Spaon Wednesday,June3.

24. Communitiesarebeinginvited totaketheleadintacklingclimate changethrough anewClimate ActionSeedFund.Picturedare AlisonFraser,LisaKelly,andOrla Black.

25. HospitalityUlsterissupporting thePublicHealthAgency’s(PHA) TalkingReallyHelpscampaign. PicturedareJoelNeill,Hospitality Ulster,SarahReid,PHA,Harry Miller,Lifeline,andSeamas Delaney,Norther nWhig.

26. BelfastCityAirportis nowacceptingapplications fortheseventhyearofits Ignite YouthLeadership Programme,opentostudents aged16to18across Norther nIreland.

27. ProgressiveBuildingSociety haschosenAgeNIasitscharity partnerforthe2026Annual GeneralMeetingofshareholders. PicturedareProgressivesecretary KyleMcRobertsandRosalind Cole,fundraisingmanagerat AgeNI.

28. A£7msupplycontractofhot crossbunsbetweenLidlNorthern IrelandandHovisbakeryhas signalledthatEasterhasarrived. PicturedareTrevorMcCrum, generalmanager,Hovis,Kevin Duffy,chiefcommercialofficer, LidlIrelandandNorther nIreland.

29. EconomyMinisterDrCaoimhe Archibaldhaswelcomedthe continuedgrowthinthenumber ofRealLiving WageEmployers acrossNorther nIreland.She’s picturedwithFionaMageeand MaryMcManus.

30. ArdmoreGrouphaslaunched adedicatedbrandexperience offeringin responsetogrowthin clientdemand.PicturedareEmma Murdock,EoghanDoherty,and PaulaMcNulty.

31. MaireClaireReid, managingdirectorofTST Group,hasbeenshortlisted fortheprestigiousEY EntrepreneurOfThe Year Ireland2026programme.

32. LiliannaMcKeown, Ava Upritchard,MaciDavidson, andAleahNeill,arepicturedat CoronationGarden,Hazelbank Park,astheBudgetEnergy SuperCupNIconfirmsits2026 Girls’Sectionsline-up.

33. MaidenCity2013splayers, SethMullan,CaoimhinMoore, DylanLougheryandRudiLogue, arepicturedonDownhillBeach withMussenden Templeinthe backgroundastheBudgetEnergy SuperCupNIconfirmsits2026 Boys’JuniorSectionline-up.

34. Anew AviationPolicy consultationhasbeenlaunched byEconomyMinisterDrCaoimhe Archibald.She’spicturedwith BelfastCityAirport’sKatyBest, DanOwens,BelfastInternational Airport,andSteveFrazer,Cityof DerryAirport.

35. CommunitiesMinister Gordon Lyonshasannouncedthe commencementofconstruction ontheShankillGatewayPublic Realmscheme.He’spicturedwith RaymondHolbeach,RoyMcNeilly, andSamMcConnell.

36. FirstMinisterMichelle O’NeillandJuniorMinister JoanneBuntinghighlighted thegrowingeconomic momentuminthenorth westastheyaddressedthe LondonderryChamberof CommercePresident’sAnnual Lunch.

37. InterTradeIrelandhaslaunched anambitiousthree-yearstrategy tofurtherunlockthefullpotential ofeconomiccollaborationand prosperityacrossIreland.

38. TranslinklaunchesTheArtof Connection, anewexhibitionby ArtistinResidenceEdReynolds, whichwas recentlyheldatBelfast GrandCentralStation.

39. TheConstructionEmployers Federation(CEF)hasannounced thelaunchoftheNIConstruction Awards2026.PicturedareFiona Graham,Payapps,Bryan Vaughan, CEFPresident, WilliamRogersof WilliamRogersConstruction,and Rachel TohillofFarrans.

40. Belfast’sthreebusiness improvementdistricts(BID), CathedralQuarterBID,Belfast OneBID,andLinenQuarterBID, havelaunched anewBusiness CrimeReductionPartnership. PicturedareHannah Wadey,Lord MayorofBelfast TraceyKelly,and TzvetelinaBogoina.

Watchesand Wonders: anew Daytonaand aslimmed down

Nautilusamongbighitters

TheworldofhorologywasrecentlyoutinforceatWatchesand Wonders. JohnMulgrew picksout afewofthemoreinteresting highlightsfromthisyear’sflagshipeventinGeneva

Tudor’sapparentfreedomtopushthe designlanguageacrossitspopular ranges,includingtheBlackBay, seeminglyalsoextendtomaterials.

It’sreleasedblacked-outmodelsbefore,but thisnewcreationemploysceramicratherthan PVD-coatedmetal.

We’veseenceramicusedmanytimes–

Omegaandthelike –butthis newiterationispairedwitha fully-ceramicbracelet.

It’sa41mmcase,which, asidefromthemuch chunkier68variant,isone ofthelargerreferencesin thecatalogue –butthinner thantheinitiallaunchofthe BlackBayyearsago.

Partly,Iimagine,duetothe ceramicinthiscase,theclasp is abutterflyvariety, insteadof Tudor’sT-Fit.It’sastrikingpiece,with adarkgreyed-outdial.

Tudorhasalsoadded

anewrange –theMonarch. Thisis ahandsomepiece sporting a39mmcase,a combinationofArabicand Romannumeralsonthe dial,andanalmostintegrated sportswatchvibe.It’salsoa MasterChronometer.

JaegerLeCoultreoftenmake prettywatches,butthenewMaster ControlChronometrecollection makesitsdebutwiththreemodels–andtheyarelovelylookingthings.

Thedateoptionforthe integratedsportswatchisclean andpairedback,butthebigfella inthecatalogueintermsofspecsandprice isthegrandperpetualcalendar,whichcomes in awarmandstrikingpinkgoldandmodest 39mmcase.

If anewRolexDaytonaisonthecards,then it’sgoingtogetattention.

Thisnew referenceisthefirsttimethe brandhaspairedstainlesssteelwithplatinum, andthatGrandFeuenameldialislikelygoing todrawseriouseyesandattentionfrom aficionados –sittingsomewherebetweenthe current referencewith alittlemoreflairfrom thegranderLeMansvariant,albeitthelatter with ablackdial.

Istillthink asomewhat retro-styledbut updatedDaytona,harkingbacktothedaysof thevintagepieces,likethe6263and6265–with asmallercasesize –wouldfly. Therewerealsosomeother interesting releases,including anew greyandblackGMT,andanOyster Perpetual41mmtomark100years ofthebrand.Thisisoneofthe fewwatchestopickuponthat Rolexgreen,withthecolour makingitswayontothelogo–Ithinkonlyfoundelsewhere ontheAir-King –alongside an18ctdialandcrown.

PatekPhilippeunveileda fewdifferent referencesand colourvariants,butmuchlikethe Daytona,eyeswereonthenew Nautilus.

Followingtheinitialunveilingof theCubitus acoupleofyearsago–initiallyas achunkier45mmwatch beforereleasing amore

manageable40mm –the companyhasalsounveileda thinner,andvintage-inspired smallercased reference.

Marking50yearsofthe iconicsportswatch,Patek unveiledboth a41mmand38mm iteration –thelatterin aplatinum

Themovementpoweringthis specialeditioncomesinatjust2.5mm limmingtheentirecaseside profiledown.

Eacharestriking –forgoingthe dateandkeepingthedialcleanand crisp.

Italsounveiled adeskwatchversion,limited tojust100pieces.

FlyingawayfromSwitzerlandfor amoment, andGrandSeikocertainlydeliveredforthose seeking arobustSpringDrivedivewatchina smallercase.

TheUFAUshio300comesinatunder 41mm –forgoingtheconsiderablylarger 43mmcasesize –in favourofsomething morewearableformore people.

It’satitaniumcase andbracelethere, comesinblue andgreendials, andfeatures thebrand’snew Caliber9RB1 UFAspringdrive momentinside.

Itwould remiss tonotmentionIWC’s newBigPilot –you couldhardlymissit.

Thebrandhas released afullylumed –inCeralume –iterationwitha perpetualcalendar.It’scertainlysomethingof astatementpiece,cleanandwhiteindaylight, butglowinglikeMrBurnsinthatepisodeof theSimpsons,andcominginattypicallyBig Pilotdimensions,with acasesizeof46.5mm.

IWCBigPilot PerpetualCalender Ceralume

Meanwhile, TagHeueralsounveiledthree newMonacos –thistimecasedintitanium–withtraditionalblueandgreendial references, and ablackdialversionwith rosegoldbezel. ■

Takingthebookclub awaytothewaters andwildsofStJohn’s Pointwasgenius,writes CharleenHurtubise

ThesunslippedintotheAtlanticas wefollowedthelastofthelight down anarrowone-lanetrackout ontooneofIreland’slongestpeninsulas. Passingthelasthouse,thecarrattledover acattleguard,through afarmer’sgate temporarilytiedbackwithbaletwine.

Myphonediedbackupthe roadand Iwas beginningtowonderifwe’dmade awrong turn.The road rosesharplyandwoundback onitself,andtherebeyondthesilhouetteof astone WorldWarIIlookoutpost,wasthe steadypulseofStJohn’sPointLighthouse.All around,cloudsandwavesshiftedlikespirits risingfromtheelements.ItfeltasthoughI’d fallenofftheearth,oratleastcometoitsvery edge.

ThemagicofStJohn’sPointisundeniable, evenatthedarkesttimeoftheyear.During thesummer,theareaaroundDunkineely, Co Donegalispopularforswimming,divingand coastalwalksunderwide-openskies. Visitors signingtheguestbookhave reportedspotting whalesanddolphinsfromthecliffoutsidethe lighthousewalls.ButinNovember’sshortest days,I wonderedifcrossing astorm-lashed Irelandforthis remoteworkinglighthouse stationwouldbeworththejourney.

SevenmembersofTheRound Table,a Greystones-basedbookclub,wereabout tofindout.Thebookclubformedin2019, sparkedby achanceconversationbetween twomothersin acafe.

Donotbemisledbytheliterary referenceof thebookclub’sname.Thisisnot astuffymeetand-read-the-classicsgroupor aponder-thenovels-of-dead-mensortofclub(thoughwe’re opentothese,too).

Oneofthefoundingmembers,Aoife

Awonderful lighthouseatthe edgeofthe world

Kavanagh,explainsthatittakesitsnamefrom theshapeofthetablemost requestedatthe localtapas restaurant –itissymbolicbothof havingnosinglepersonatthetopofthetable, andofthebookclub’scommitmenttocreating aninclusiveanddemocraticspace.

“Anybodycanjoin,”shesays.“Thereare onlytwo requirements:doyourbestto read themajorityofthebooks.Andshowup.”

WhenCovidhappened,theclubthrived online,sharingdiscussions,satire,and creativity.Kavanagh recalls amessagein theWhatsAppgroup:“FiveGoAbsolutely Nowhere”. Yetthegroup’sreachwasfarfrom insular.After readingGhostintheThroat, theyinterviewedDoireannNíGhríofaon RTÉ Radio’sTheBookShowandlaternominated EmilyPine’sNotestoSelffortheprogramme’s Christmasshow,

When restrictionslifted,thegroupbecame mobileagainandsincethenTheRound Tablehasmetin restaurants,onthebeach, insaunas,atliteraryfestivalsandevenata weekendinAntibes,whereBonjour Tristesse was read.

Attendingthetheatre,cinema,walking clubs,weekendsawayandspontaneousdance partiesareallpartofthemix.Itis aliving, evolving,interest-basedcommunity.

ForourCoDonegalweekendaway,we bookedbothTheClipperandTheSchooner, eachhouseaccommodatingfourpeoplein onedoubleandtwosinglebeds.Whilewe expectedmodestlodgingsbasedonThe Landmark Trustwebsite,wefoundthe rooms weremoregenerousthananticipated,with highceilingsandspacioussittingareas. Many roomsinbothcottageslookouton

thelighthouseatthefrontoftheproperty.

Builtonthisprominentheadlandtoguide vesselsintoKillybegsHarbourpastRotten Island,itisoneof12lighthousesincluded inGreatLighthousesofIreland,anall-island tourisminitiative.

Onarrival,housemanagerGerardBoyle greetsguests,showsthemtheamenitiesand suggestssightssuchasthesecretwaterfall atLargy,MuckrossHead,GlencolmcilleFolk VillageandtheSliabhLiagcliffs.

Theabsenceofwifimightbe adownside forsome,butotherswillseeitas awelcome opportunitytoswitchoff.Thatsaid,wefound justenoughphonecoveragewhenneara windoworatthefrontdoor.

We wereimpressedwiththecrispwhite sheets,theperiod-stylebathtubandthe separateshower room –butthe real

appeallieswiththedetailsthatsuggestthe station’shistoryandthecarethebuildings have receivedwiththepassageoftime:the CarnegieLibraryoakbookcase,anoldwooden dresserfilledwithceramicjugsandcrockery. Thebluewillowchinaplattersignalledtoour groupwehadlandedintheperfectdestination todiscussourmost recentbookclubchoice–TheSafekeepby Yaelvander Wouden,which openswiththediscoveryof ashardofblueand-whitechinain avegetablegarden, afind thatsetsthestoryinmotion.

Thebook,ofcourse,wasonly apretextfor theweekendaway.Itwasthestartingpoint for aweekendofnourishmentandcare–and forthispurpose,thecottagesatStJohn’sPoint wereperfect.Thehowlingwindandbattering rainoutsideonlymadethespacefeelmore welcomingandhomely,afortressfromthe

elements,especiallywhengatheredinfrontof the roaringfire.

Eachmemberplannedandexecuted justonemealduringtheweekend,and weatewell.Samplemainsincludedboeuf bourguignonandchickencurry,lunches featuredquiches,meats,andsalads,and breakfastsofferedhomemadegranolawith bakedplumsdrizzledinmaplesyrup.

Forbusywomen,itwas arealtreattohave mostmealssimplyputinfrontofus.Although thepropertyhas acoffeepress,onemember brought abarista-styleespressomachine,a touchweallappreciated.Bewarned:planning isnecessaryinthis remoteness –thereisno poppingouttotheshopfortheforgotten cream.

Withourstayspanningonly aweekend, wedecidedtostaylocalforthemostpart, prioritisingnourishmentandcompanionship over atightlystretchedtouristschedule. We walkedtheheadland,someventuredintothe seafor aswim.

Thereare stepsleadingdownto aswimming areaoutsidethewallsofthelighthouse,but theseexperiencedswimmersoptedfor aquick in-and-outattheshallow-entrybeachupthe roadnearthefarmer’sgate.

We piledintotwocarsforouroneexcursion offthepeninsula: awanderthroughthetweed andwoolshopsofDonegaltown,followedby agorgeouspintofGuinnessbeside aglowing fire. We sangallthewayback,providing entertainmentforourpatientdesignated driver.

Andso,after aweekendoflaughter,stories andsharedmeals, Iaskagainwhetherthe journeywasworthitinthedarkestmonths. TheRound Table’sverdictisclear:rainor shine,summerorwinter,StJohn’sPointand itsdramaticlandscapeareanidealplaceto regroup,whetherforextendedfamilies,small milestonecelebrations,orforswimmers, hikers,bikers,knitters,andofcourse readers.

StJohn’sPointistheperfectplaceto strengthenevolvingcommunitieslikeourbook club,wheretheinterestisonlythestarting point –andfriendship,curiosityandjoyarethe destination. ■

TECH NOLO GY

Frompunch cards to AI: whyIBMisstill reinventingitselfafter 70 yearsinIreland

Thedelicatedanceofbeingatthecuttingedgeof developingtechnologieswhilealsobeingtop-of-class inlegacysystems,writes Adrian Weckler

Seventyyearsago,International BusinessMachines(IBM)setup intheConstitutionRoominThe ShelbourneHotelincentralDublin.

Itsmissionwastosellpunch-cardmachines, tabulatorsandothermechanicalthingymabobs tothehandfulofIrishorganisations –mostly semi-statesandbanks– whowerelooking toautomatetheiroperationswithmodern whizzbangmachinery

“Itwasmoreorlesstosolvesomeofthe sameproblemsastoday,”saysNathanCullen, IBM’spresent-daygeneralmanagerforIreland.

“Peopleneededtogetpaid.Thefirst machinesthatwouldhavegoneinwere todo withpayroll,cashflowandthenmovingonto supplymaterials.”

HeestimatesthatCómhluchtSiúicreÉireann Teo(theIrishSugarCompany)wasthefirstto getthefancynewdevices.

“Butofficially,I thinkitwasintotheESB wherewedeployedthefirstlargesystem,”he adds

Thecuttingedgetechatthetime,hesays, wasthepunchcard.

“Thosemachineswouldhavebeenthe precursortothemainframesoflateron,”he says

Atthatpoint,IBMwasalready awellestablishedcompanyof45years’standing. TheinitialIrishbasewas asatelliteofficeofthe UKbasewith asmallsalesforce. Withina few

years,asIBMgrewinstature,itbegantotake ontechnicalstaffinIreland.

Today,IBMemploysaround3,000people inDublin, WaterfordandCorkandisIreland’s oldestUStechmultinational.

Nathanjoinedthecompanyin2008, workinghiswayuptorunthe€200bngiant inIrelandtoday.Bythetimehebecamestaff, IBMhadalreadydiversifiedawayfrombeing thecomputer-manufactureritwasfamousas duringthefirst80yearsofitslife.

Havingsoldoffitsconsumerhardware divisiontoLenovoandrampedupitscloud, softwareandconsultingservices,ithasalso become asignificantplayerinenterpriseAI services.

Andyetitdoes ahalf-dozenotherthings, too,includingitslegacymainframebusiness. OneofthemostchallengingthingsaboutIBM istryingtodescribe,inplainEnglish,whatit actuallydoes.

Thisconundrumistrueevenforseasoned companyexecutives,Nathanadmits.“Iused tosayI’m abinman,becauseforpeoplewho aren’tintheindustry,describingwhat Idocan putpeopletosleep.

“When Igoandgetmyhaircut,andfolks askmewhat IdoandwhereIwork,they’ve neverheardofIBM.TheyknowApple.They knowthethingstheyhaveintheirhands Buttheydon’tknowwho’sbehindthescenes poweringthewholething.

“Yet70%oftheworld’stransactionsby valuearecarriedoutovermainframe.That’s astatthatshockspeople,becausewhenthey hearthewordmainframe,theythinkofoldkit. Butactuallyit’sstillcuttingedge.”

IBMinIreland,hesays,hastwomoneymakingdivisions:technologyandconsulting. Athirddivision, research,isn’tacomparable commercialunit.

Thecompany’sbusinesshereisvery realand tangible.

“Ifyoutakethethree[Irish]bankslocally,all ofthem relyonIBM,”hesays.

Becauseithassomanypartsofthe technologystacktoitsbusiness,including a high-poweredconsultingarm,IBMhasbeen relativelysuccessfulatwinningand retaining thoselargeinstitutionalclientprojects.

Likeeverybigtechcompany,IBMhasplayed upitsinvestmentin,andachievementswith, AI.Thishaspartlybeenthrough Watson(or WatsonX).

Evenstill,IBMwasoneofthemanytech firmsthatsawitssharepricefalloffa cliff earlierthisyearwhentheAIfirmAnthropic announcedanewtoolthatcould replacemuch ofwhatcurrentsoftwarecompaniescandoin thecodingworld.

ItleavesIBMwith adelicatedanceto perform.Ononehand,itneedstoconvince everyonethatitisinlock-stepwiththevery latestinAIadvances,particularlywhenitcomes tobusinesstransformationprocesses.

Ontheotherhand,italsoneedstogently remindabigchunkofthemarketthatAI cannotquickly replacelotsofthelegacy processesandsoftware-adjacentsystemswhich havebeenassociatedwithitstechnology MaybethebestexampleofthisisCobol,a 67-year-oldprogramminglanguagethatstill dominatesmainframeinfrastructureandwhich wasseenasbeingvulnerabletoAIduringthe Anthropic-relatedshare pricefall sixweeksago. Nathansaysthatthere’smoreto Cobolthan

justanAnthropicplug-in.

WhileAIcanworkwell,it’sallofthe bespokethingsaroundit –whicharethe thingsthatmighttripthesystemupandget thecompanyintrouble –thatarefartrickierto leavetoAI,hesays.

“Whatarethesystemsitintegrateswith? Whatistheoperatingsystemthatituses? Whatisthetypicalsetofactivitiesthatitneeds toexecuteon?Whatarethefrailtiesofthat? Whatarethethingsthatcan’tfallover?That’s wheretheexpertiseandthebusinessnousand thehistoricalcapabilityofIBMcomesin,”he says.

“Andthenyou’reforgettingthefactthat it’srunningonIBMkit.Thesole reasonwhyit’s usedasthismassively robustsystemthathas beendevelopedcontinuouslythroughoutthe years.”

Thatsaid,IBMisbullishonAIas a transformationtool,generally.W ithinhis owncompany,Nathansaysthatithasalready

becomewellusedinprocessessuchasHR. Heusesit,hesays,tohelphimpreparesalary considerationsforcolleagues.

“Itusedtobe afairlylengthyaffairformeto gathertogether aspreadsheetfor,let’ssay,20 peopleforwhenwehadtodecidewhattopay people,”hesays.

“Youpullintothatthecurrentsalary,thelast timetheyhad apayincrease,what asimilar persongetsintheindustryelsewhere,whether theyhaveskillsspecifictowherethecompany needstobeandwantstobe,allofthat.

“Thatwouldtakeme awhiletogather,I’d havetoaccessallsortsofsilosofdata,andI’d havetoconsultmyspreadsheetfromlastyear

“Whathappensnowistheagentcomes atme,sendsmeanemailtosayit’sreadyfor the review.Ithaslistedeverybody.It’sgotmy budgetsplitbetweenallthepeopleinthelist withsuggestionsastowhogetsthesalary increase.Anditdefendsit.Itsays,whythey’re meanttogetit. ■

my day

DamienCorr Manager,CathedralQuarterBusiness ImprovementDistrict(BID)Belfast

6.30am

ThealarmsoundswithBBCRadio 4Today programmeontheradio,catchupwithworld news.

8am

TrainfromBellarenaonthenorthcoastto Belfast.It’sa longdailycommutebutbythe time Ileavethetrainat YorkStreet. Ihave reviewedemails/diary/socialmedia, readthe newspaperandhad alistentoRadioUlsterfor thelocalnewswhichcanoftenimpactourday.

9.40am

IusethewalkintoCathedralQuarter(CQ)to monitorour recentlycompletedDefibrillator network.Accesstoadefibisonlyever200m awayintheCQdistrict.Ourlastinstallation wasatDirect WineShipmentsatCorporation Square. Ialsoassesscleanliness/safetyand otherpotentialissuesinthearea,calloutCQ SafetyorCleanteamifnecessary(weengage contractorstoundertakesafetyandcleaning patrolsacrossCathedralQuarterinadditionto BelfastCityCouncilandPSNI).

10am

Dailycatch-upwithteam –discuss

communicationswithanyoneofour700BID membersinlast24hoursandplanappropriate response. Withthevarietyofbusinesstypes andthevibrancyofCathedralQuarter,notwo daysarethesameandweareworkinginthe cityfivedays aweek,it’squitehighpressure butvery rewardingwork.

10.30am

Typically Iwillinteractwithatleastoneof ourBIDmembers regardingneworongoing projectsorissues,thiscanrangefrom cleansing,training,lobbying,Anti-Social Behaviour,businessdevelopmentandfestival planning –weare partnersfor12-14festivals inCathedralQuartereveryyear.Thisexciting mixofvarietyandpressureiswhatmotivates meandtheteameveryday.

11am

Dependingonhowthemorninghasgone Iwilltypicallymeetwithoneofourproject officerstofocuson aspecificproject. We arecurrently rollingouttheBelfastBusiness CrimeReductionPartnership.Aninnovative partnershipwithBelfastOneandLinen QuarterBIDswhichtakesupquitesome time,especiallyintheseearlydays. Iwillgrab

anamazingcoffeefromanywhereinthe CathedralQuarter.

12pm

Usuallymeetwith aStakeholdergroup. CathedralQuarterBIDarekeenmembers ofallofthekeyCityStakeholdergroups, egCityLeadershipCo-ordinationgroup,DFI Stakeholder referenceGroup,CityCentre TaskingGroup,AllIrelandFleadhGroupetc. Ourmembershipofthesepartnershipsenables ustodelivereffectivesolutionstodailyand regularissues. We arestrongadvocatesof partnershipworking.

1pm

Lunchtime,andCathedralQuarterhassome ofthebest restaurantsinNorther nIrelandand quiteoften Ihavelunchinthecompanyofa stakeholder,BIDmemberorcolleague.

2pm

Itrytokeeptheafternoonflexible. Itypically meetwithoneoftheteam regarding aproject, thiscouldbeanenvironmentalplace-making project, anetworking/promotionalevent, planningforthenextfestivalororganisingthe nextfreetrainingsessionforBIDmembers.

3pm

Atsomestageintheafternoon Iwillspeak withoneofthekeyindividualstakeholders inthecity,thismightbethebusinesscrime reductionpartnershipofficer,theNightCzar, aseniorPSNIofficer,aseniorcouncilofficer orcouncillor/MLA,anotherBIDmanageror even ajournalist.Alloftheseareessential whenitcomesto apartnershipapproachand especiallyeffectivelobbying. Agoodexample of apartnershipworkingtodelivereffective lobbyingwasthepedestrianisationofHill Street.

4pm

Backonthetrain. Iusethejourneytimeto calltheteamaboutsomethingthat Ihavejust remembered!It’sagreattimetoanalysethe dayand reviewthediaryfortomorrowand have afinalglanceatemailsandsocialmedia.

6.30pm

BackhomeinLimavady,and relax…unlessthe phonerings. ■