Ulster Business October 2025

Thelatestnewsandexclusivesfromacrossthe worldofNorther nIrelandbusinessandbeyond

18

Coverstory

We sitdownwithStephenClarkeofsolicitors McCartan TurkingtonBreen

22

InFocus

JohnMulgrewspeakstoFinTrUfounderand BelfastChamberpresidentDarraghMcCarthy

26

Food &drink

We pay avisittothenewCapparelliattheMill restaurantlocatedoutsideDundonald 35

Commercialproperty

JohnMulgrewexaminesthegoodandthebad oftheshort-letmarketinNorther nIreland 43

Officeenvironment &fitout

Howdowe repurposeoldofficestock?

Hospitality,food &drink

JohnMulgrewpays avisittooneoftheUK’s topthreeMichelin-starred restaurants 65

Corporatefinance

PavelBarterlooksathowfirmshandle generationaltransition

70

Top100

Theofficiallaunchofthe UlsterBusiness Top 100Norther nIrelandCompanies,withKPMG 84

Photocall

Alookatwhat’sbeenhappeningacross Norther nIrelandoverthelastfewweeks 92 Review

JohnMulgrewgetshandsonwithtwoof Tissot’snewsmallerchronographs

96 Technology

Ifyou’relookingfortheleadingAIphone… youneedtocheckoutPixel10

UlsterBusinessis apartoftheIndependentPressStandardsOrganisation(IPSO).Ifyoubelieveyouhavebeenunfairlytreated,youcancontactIPSOinwritingviaitswebsiteforguidanceonwhattodo. Theserviceisfree. IPSOcan thenadviseonwhetherit’s likelyyouhavegroundsfor acomplaintandwhattodoaboutit. Thenormalprocedureisforthecomplainanttothencontactthepublication’seditordirectly.Ifnoagreementisreached,thecomplainant cangobacktoIPSOtolookforanadjudication,orforittotakeoverthecomplaint. Fulldetailsareavailableatwww.ipso.co.uk.Alternatively,emailcomplaints@ipso.co.uk,orinquiries@ipso.co.uk,ortelephone03001232220,ortheout-of-hoursemergencynumber: 07659152656.

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EDITOR’S COMM EN TS

IsAI the panacea we’realltold itis?

Asignificantjobsannouncement from aforeigndirectorinvestor doesn’tcomearoundeachday.

BankofAmericasettingupshophere andcreatingupto1,000jobsiscertainly asizeableone.It’sfollowingthemoveof otherlargeUSfinancialinstitutions,suchas Citi,whichcountNorthern Irelandasa key baseforbackendandtechnologydivisions.

Asdiscussedinthiseditionofthemagazine, we’llknowintheyearsaheadwhatimpact artificialintelligence(AI)willhaveonsome ofthesewidersupport roles.

Somebigplayershaveinvestedmillions,if notbillions,intechnologies,whileothers areplayingcatchupandtryingtheir bestto getonthebusbeforebeingleftbehind

However,whilewefullyunderstandthat AIwilltransformhowmostofuswork, certainlyanyonetypingon alaptop,willit bethepanaceatoallourneeds?

WhileBelfastChamberpresidentandFinTrU founderDarraghMcCarthyisacutelyaware ofitsimportance,hesays,whenthedust settles,someofthetheselargecompanies maywonderwhethertheirsizeable investmentshavepaidoff.Hepointsto someofthecurrentlimitationsinareassuch asthe regulatoryspace. Youcan readthe interviewinthisedition.

WelcometoOctober’s UlsterBusiness. Our coverstorythismonthfeaturesStephen ClarkeofMcCartan TurkingtonBreen,about itsworkforce,itsgrowth,andtrainingthe nextgenerationoflegalminds.

PavelBarterlooksatwhatsomeare doingto repurposelotsoflower-grade officespaceinBelfastandbeyond,left inthewakeoffirmsmovingtograde A developments,aswellasgenerational successionplanning.

Ialsotake adeepdiveintotheriseofthe short-term residentiallettinghere.Isit a goodthingforus,doweneedmoreofit, shouldtherebetighter regulation,andwhat willitmeanforourwiderhousingstock provision?

We also revealthatCurry’sFunParkin Portrushhasextendeditslease,meaning itwillbearoundforatleastanother generation. ■

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,j.martin@mediahuis.co.uk

Graphicdesign SusanMcClean,MediahuisIrelandDesignStudio

Coverphoto ElaineHill

@ulsterbusiness www.ulsterbusiness.com

Amonth innumbers Portrush funpark‘signs up foranother generation’

1,000

Thenumberofjobs whichcouldbecreated byBankofAmerica with anewbasein Belfast

2047

Theextendedlease dateofCurry’sFun ParkinPortrushwhich willseeit remain foratleastanother generation

£200m

Thepotential investmentin ClarendonWharfby BelfastHarbour

1.1%

Thepredictedgrowth oftheNIeconomy thisyear, accordingto DanskeBank

AniconicCoAntrimfunparkwill bearoundforatleastanother generationasitsoperatorsignsup until2047, UlsterBusiness can reveal.

Curry’sFunParktookoverattheformer Barry’sAmusementsoperationinPortrushback in2022.

Itinitiallyhadtakenout a10yearleaseon theestablishment,frompropertydeveloperand formerKFCfranchiseeMichaelHerbert.

Itcannowbe revealedthatthebusinesshas extendedthatleasebyanother15years.That meanstheCurry’sFunParkwillbewelcoming visitorsandlocalsthroughitsdoorsuntilat least2047.

Itallaysanyconcernsthatthepopular summerspotcouldbeshutandthesite redevelopedinto ahotelorhousing.

In2021,itwas remarketedas adevelopment opportunity

The Trufellifamily,whichownedthevenue sinceitopenedin1926,hadoriginallyhopedit wouldbesoldas agoingconcern,whenitwas firstputupforsalein2019.

However,itwas remarketedas a developmentopportunityinMay2021.

Astudyundertakenbyhad revealedthat thesitecouldbedevelopedforseveraluses, including a120-bedhotel,23 residential dwellingsor acombinationofboth,inaddition toleisureand recreationalfacilities.

ThesitewaspurchasedbyMichaelHerbert attheendof2021.

Then,thepropertywasleasedbyOwen Curry,whoalsorunsCurry’s FunParkinSalthill, withcommercialpropertyagentSavillsacting forthelandlordonthedeal,andtheextension.

“Fromthe outset,boththe Herber tand Curr yfamilies understood theimpor tanceof theand it ssignificance to thenor th coast. We aredelighted that Curr y’sFun Park will be therefor future generationstoenjoy,” Richard McCaig from Savillssaid.

TheCurry family said it has“made considerable investment s, both financial and creative,transformingthe site into avibrant, family-orientedattractionthathas quickly become oneofN or thernIreland’s most popularseasidedestinations”.

“Beyondits valueasatourist at trac tion, Curr y’sFun Park hashad aremarkablepositive impact on thelocal economy. Theincreasein visitorfootfallhas provided avital boostto surroundingbusinesses.”

NIjoblistings outpaceGB

Norther nIreland’sjobsmarketoutpacedthe restoftheUK attheendofthesummer,fuelledbytheprivatesector. That’saccordingtoNeilCarberryOBE,chiefexecutiveofthe RecruitmentandEmploymentConfederation(REC).

“Norther nIreland,likemostofEurope,hashad aweakening recruitmentmarketinthelastcoupleofyears,”hetold UlsterBusiness “Ourdatashowsthatin2024,NIdid alittleworsethanthe restof theUK,buthashad amorepositivesummer[thisyear]thaninGB.”

That’sbasedonthevolumeofjoblistingsavailable.MidUlsterand ArmaghCity,BanbridgeandCraigavon,sawsomeofthelargestspikes inpostings,accordingtotheREC.

Lookingatthechallengesfacingthejobsand recruitmentsectoras awhole,MrCarberrysaidNationalInsurancecontributionrises,and changestothethreshold, remainanissue.

Hesaidbusinesseshereneed a“shotofconfidence”.

“Thepictureisthatprivatesectorfirmsareconfidentinwhattheyare doing,butareworriedabouttheoutsideworld,”hesaid.

“What’sparticularlyinfocusisthestrengthinthetourismeconomyin Belfast[andNI],and alotofserviceleveljobswereparticularlyimpacted bythechangeinNationalInsurancethreshold…it’snosurprisefirms arefeeling aweightofthat –sumsinmillions[ofaddedcosts]arenot unusual.”

‘National Insurance rise cost us £1.5m overnight’

AriseinNationalInsurance contributionshasadded£1.5m ontooneofNorther nIreland’s fastest-growingservicesfirms,itcanbe revealed.

DarraghMcCarthy,founderofFinTrUand presidentofBelfastChamber,saidthechanges tothethresholdandpercentageofemployer contributionshavebeen a“suckerpunch”.

“That’s£1.5monourbottomline –that’s notimmaterial,”hesaid.“Ihavesympathy fortheChancellor…butatthatmargin,she isdefinitelynotencouragingmetohireentry levelpeople.”

“…maybethatishowwe’refinallygoing tosolvetheproductivitycrisisthat’sfacedthis countryformanyyears. We’regoingtoforce allcompaniestomovemorefurtherupthe valuechain.”

Thefinancialservicesfirmemploysaround 1,400peopleacrossBelfast,Derry,Letterkenny,

Quotes of the month

andPortugal.

MrMcCarthytookoverasChamber presidentinJune,andisfocusingonboth entrepreneurshipandartsandculture. Hesaysentrepreneurshipisn’tjustabout startupsbutaboutgettingthingsdone.And hebelievesartsandcultureshouldn’tbeseen asanadd-on,orluxury,butasessentialtoa vibrantcity.

Heseeshis rolewithBelfastChamber,and hiscurrent roleaspresident,as“payingback”

“Iwantedtobeinvolved,notjustbe akind of asoletraderorentrepreneur,doingmy business.

“Weare delighted that Curry’s FunParkwillbe therefor future generations to enjoy.”

RichardMcCaigfrom Savillsspeakingaboutthe extensionoftheleaseof thePortrushfunpark.

“IthoughtthattheChamberwasa wonderfulvehicleforgettinginvolvedand reallyconnectingbusinesswiththebroadercity andthevariouscommunitiesinthecity.

“Ithas reallygainedhugemomentum …wehavenowover600members. We’ve hadprobablyovereven180joininthelast twoyears. Youcanfeelthere’sjustaneverincreasingneedfor,Iguess,thatvoiceof businessandforbusinesstoalsogivebackand participate.”

Readthefullinterviewonpage22-23

“Business taxesare higher, inflationisrunningabove targetanduncertaint y aroundfiscal tighteningis increasing.”

DanskeBank’sConorLambe ontheNIandUKeconomy in2025.

“Since2019, thenumber of self-cateringpremises registeredwith Tourism Northern Irelandhasgrown by 54%.”

JaniceGaultspeakingabout theshort-term residential markethere.

Kellie-AnnHoeyofSHSGroupaccepts theResponsibleBusiness Awardfrom CiaranMcConnellofJPCorry

Foodanddrinks brand businessnamedNI’s top responsiblecompany

SHSGrouphaswalkedawaywiththe topgongatthisyear’sResponsible Business Awards.

Thefirmtooktheawardassome600 guestsgatheredattheICCBelfastforthis year’sevent,whichisrunbyBusinessinthe CommunityNorther nIreland(BITC).

Thisyearmarksthe20thyearoftheawards, whichareruninpartnershipwithkeysponsor HenryBrothersandeventpartnerFujitsu,along withmediapartners UlsterBusiness andU105, andcommunicationspartnerLanyonGroup.

VickyDavies,chairofBITCandchief executiveofDanskeBank,said:“These awardsprovide aplatformtoshowcaseand celebratethemostinnovativeandinspirational

responsiblebusinesses.

“Astheonlyawardsdedicatedto responsiblebusinessinNI,thisis aunique opportunityforleadersinallareasofcorporate responsibilitytobe recognisedand rewarded forgoingbeyondprofittobe aforceforgood forsocietyandtheenvironment,anditsserves as awaytoinspireotherstofollowsuit.”

Winnersinthe13 responsiblebusiness categorieswereannouncedattheblack-tie eventheldatICCBelfast,hostedbypresenters MarkSimpsonandSarah Travers.Brand ownerandserviceproviderinthefastmoving consumergoodssector,SHSGroupwasnamed Norther nIrelandResponsibleCompanyofthe Year.

Thewinnersin2025are:

■ NIResponsibleCompanyofthe Year, sponsoredbyJPCorry– SHSGroup

■ Diversity,EquityandInclusion Award, sponsoredbyEncirc– AMS

■ ClimateAction Award,sponsoredby HeronEnergy– Finnebrogue

■ CollaborativeAction Award,sponsored byArthurCox– Translink

■ EmployerofChoice Award,sponsored byUlsterUniversity– PMcVeyBuilding Systems

■ Impactin YourCommunity Award, sponsoredbySPARNI– Translink

■ Nature&Biodiversity Award,sponsored bySONI– Translink

■ One-to-Watch Award,sponsoredby DanskeBank– PrestigeInsuranceHoldings

■ ResponsibleBusinessAmbassador Award,sponsoredbySSEAirtricity– Fiacre O’Donnell,Encirc

■ ResponsibleProduct/Service Award, sponsoredby Translink– AGPaving+ BuildingProducts

■ Responsible TechnologyInnovation Award,sponsoredbyAllstateNI– Express Merchants

■ Skills &Education Award,sponsoredby BelfastHarbour– BelfastCityAirport

■ Wellbeingat Work Award,sponsoredby LarnePort– DiageoIreland

Theservicessector helpedfuel aboostin economicactivityhere

NIeconomicactivityhitsall-timehigh

Theser vice ssec torhelpe dt he Nort hern Ir elan de cono my hitat an all-time hi gh earliert hi syear, accordin gtogovernm entfi gure s.

TheNIComposite Economic Index( NI CEI) said economic output betweenA pril andJune wasnow 35%above theall -timelow reached earlyinthe Covid-19 pand emic

Year on year,e conomicoutputhad increased3.5%onthe same period in 2024, andby2%onthe fir st fewmonthsof2025.

Andit’snow 12%above thepre -pandemic levels eeninquarter four 2019

Overthequarter,the bigges tcontribution to grow th wasincreas ed ac tivity in the services se ctor –every thingfromres taurants to lawfirms–w here ac tivity grew by 1.3%

Theconstructions ec torexpandedby0.4%

overthep erio d.

Andoverthe year,the increase in economic ac tivity wasdrivenbyall se ctor s, with private se ctor output grow ing3.8 %overthe cour se of theyear, andthe public se ctor grow ing 2.6%

TheN ICEI canbecomparedw ithgross domestic produc t( GDP) ,the measureof economic output us ed in larger economies.

TheU K’sG DP grew by 0.3% overthe quar terand by 1. 2% overtheyeartoA pril to June –and is now4.5%above it sprepand emic level.

Thedat aprovidedbythe NI St atis tics & Research Agency (N ISRA )was releas ed by the Department forthe Economy.

NISR As aiditreflec tedap erio dofgrowth forthe NI economy, whichhad be en

interruptedbythe Covid-19 pand emic

It said :“Overtheyeare conomic ac tivity increasedby3.5%, with positive contributionsfromall se ctor s.

“Looking at thelongertermtrend, NI economic ac tivity increasedgradually between2013and 2019,following the prolongeddow nturnp os tthe 20 07 financial crisis

“H owever,the onsetofthe pand emic broughtabout asharp downturn in output withtheN ICEI reaching as erieslow in quar tert wo 2020

“Since thepandemic, economic ac tivity in NI hasrecovered subs tantiallytoreach a series high in quar tert wo 2025

“Economicactivit yinN or thernI reland has increasedin22ofthe last 40 quar ters.”

NorthernIrelandservices contractorsold to Welshfirm

ACoDownbuildingservices contractorknownforitsworkin thepublicsectorhasbeenbought overby afirmin Wales.

CTSNI,whichwasfoundedbyConnaire McGreevy, hasbeenacquiredbyCardoGroup foranundisclosedsum.

The Warrenpoint-basedbusinessdelivers full-servicemaintenance contractstothousands ofpropertiesacrossNorther nIreland.

Itwasfoundedin2006,andreported turnoverof£37.6mfortheyeartoMarch 2024,accordingtoaccountsforCTSProjects filedatCompaniesHouse

CTS’servicesincludeplannedand reactive maintenance,mechanicalandelectricalworks, compliancetesting,andspecialistimprovement projects.

Accordingtotheaccounts,thebusinesshas around150staff.

ThecompaniessaidCardowouldbring

investmentandexpertisetomeetgrowing demandforpropertyservicesaroundNorther n Ireland.

MrMcGreevysaid:“We’reproudofthe stronglocal relationshipswe’vebuiltherein Norther nIreland,andourteam remainsfirmly rootedinthecommunitiesweserve.

“JoiningCardoisanexcitingstepforus.It meanswecankeepdoingwhatwedobestdeliveringexcellentserviceforourclients,while benefitingfromtheexpertise,investment,and innovationof alargerorganisationthatshares ourvalues.

“Forourclientsandsupplychain partners,it’sbusinessasusualwiththesame experiencedpeopleandcommitmentto quality

“Butnow,we’llalsohavethe resourcesto investmoreinourpeople,growopportunities forlocalsuppliers,andtakeonprojectsat a largerscale.”

CardochiefexecutiveLiamBevansaid:“CTS isanestablishedand respectedlocalbusiness with astrongtrack recordinthe region.They shareourfocusonquality,reliability,and community,whichmakesthis anaturalfit.

“Thisacquisitionis akeypartofourgrowth strategy -expandingourpresenceinto Norther nIrelandwhileensuringservicesarestill deliveredbylocalteamswhoknowandserve theircommunitiesbest.

“Bycombiningourexpertise,wecandeliver high-qualityservicesatscale,supportlocaljobs andsuppliers,andstrengthenourpositionas a providerofchoiceacrosstheUK.”

Cardo,whichisbasedinCardiff,is a majorproviderofbuildingmaintenance andimprovementservicestosocialhousing providersandpublicbodiesacrosstheUKand Ireland.

ConnaireMcGreevyalsoownsMourne MountainsBrewery,basedin Warrenpoint.

DunnesStores reports 60%jump inpre-taxprofits to £20.3m

Sup ermarket Dunnes Stor es ha s re ported a6 0% jump in pr e-ta x profi ts to £2 0. 3m forits Nort hern Ir elan doperation

Thefamily- ow nedcompany ow ns 15 stores northofthe border includingfourinBelfast andt wo in Londonderr y.

It sregis teredoffice here is givenasits flagshipfashion andhomewares shop in Forest side Shopping Centre in southBelfast

Thedirec tors of Dunnes Stores (Bangor) Ltd, it sN or thernI reland entity,are Dr Margaret Heffernan, daughter of founderBen Dunne, Dr Anne Heffernan, Margaret ’s daughter,and Sharon McMahon, acousinofA nne.

Turnover at theN or thernI reland company in 2024 rose from £185mto£191m,an increase of 3% ,w ithpre -t ax profits soaringto £20.3m from £12.7m in 2023

Thecompany report filed withtheaccount s describedits ac tivity as retailof textile, grocer y andhomewaregoods

I n2024, ta xwas paid of £6.2m, up from £2.9 mayearearlier,leaving profits af tert ax of £14.1m,upfrom£ 9. 8m.N et current as sets were £22.9m,comparedto£7.6m ayear earlier.

Dunnes is anotoriously privatecompany whichrarelycomment sonits ac tivities,but thes trategic report filed withtheaccount s do es provid esomeinsight s.

It said :“Thegroup is involved in theret ail industry,w hich is highly comp etitive. The principalrisks anduncer tainties facing the groupare thos eassociatedw ithtrading in the current economic climate.

“T he group’sp er formance is influenced primarilybynormalsupply, demand factor s andcompetition.”

Ande choing it s“better valueb eats them all” ad vertisingslo gan, it said it sphilosophy wassummedupas“better value”

“T he boardofdirec tors believethatthis philos ophy underpinsthe succes softhe business in it sfirs t80years anditcontinues to guid eusintothe future

“As afamilycompany with generations of accumulatedexp erience, we se ethingsin thelonger-term andt akeour keybusines s de cisionsaccordingly

“A saret ailbusines s, almost ever y de cision we make is ab outproviding customer sw iththe widest,freshes trange of fo od produc ts,and themos texciting fashionand homewaresbrandsand in -s tore ex perience

“A llof ours takehold er sworkhardto achievethis.

“Weknowwed ep endonallof our pe ople andpar tner sand we aimtobea resp onsiblepar tner andemployer.”

It describedthe groupand company balanceshe et as robust with strong cash flowand no ex ternal financing

No interimdivid endwas paid in 2024, with no furtherdivid ends prop os ed

It had1,268 st af finN I, up from 1,191, with abig rise in thenumbers of retail st af f, from 1,156to1,232.Tot al paybill went from £19. 2m to £20.4m ■

Bankof America to create1,000 jobs with newBelfastbase

BankofAmericawillcreateupto 1,000newjobsinBelfastasitplans tosetup abasehere.

Itisoneof anumberofUSfinancial institutionstocollectivelypledgearound £1.25bnofinvestmentintheUKamidDonald Trump’sstatevisit.

ThebankalreadyoperatesinDublin,where ithas1,000staff,andhasoperationsin England.

BankofAmericahasstartedscoutingoffice spacefortheanti-moneylaunderingteam, whowillmonitortransactionsforanyillegality.

Asmanyas1,000staffcouldbehiredfor theBelfastoperation.

Thebankcurrentlyfunds aprogrammeat BelfastMetropolitanCollegetoprovidedigital trainingtoyoungpeoplefromdisadvantaged backgrounds.Thelocaleducationsystemand English-speakingworkforcewas adraw,as wasourgrowingstatusas ahubforfinancial services.

A2020Assembly reportestimatedthat morethan20,000peopleworkinthebanking sectorhere.

“AtBankofAmericawearefocused onhelpingourclientsadvanceeconomic opportunityandprosperityonbothsidesof theAtlantic,”chiefexecutive,BrianMoynihan, said:

“TheearlyUS-UKtradeagreementthat thepresidentandtheprimeministerbegan discussinginFebruaryhasprovidedthe businesscommunitywiththecertaintyand frameworkitneedstostrengthentransatlantic commerce.

“Weare pleasedtobeabletoextendBank ofAmerica’s investmentintheUKwiththe creationof anewBelfastoperationsfacilityto supportourglobalbusiness,bringingupto 1,000newopportunitiestoNorther nIreland.”

ChairmanandchiefexecutiveofBankofAmericaBrianMoynihan

BankofAmericaisoneoftheworld’slargest financialinstitutions.

ItsacquisitionofMerill Lynchduringthe 2008financialcrisis,alongwithitspractices intheyearsleadinguptothecrash,werethe focusofcriticismandinvestigation.

Theannouncementispartof awaveof investmentfromtheUSannouncedbytheUK DepartmentforBusinessand Trade.

TheUK’sfinancialservicessectorhas received acommitmentof£1.25bnfrom UScompanies,withLondon,Edinburghand ManchesterjoiningBelfastinbenefitingfrom thisinvestment.

Companieswhichhavepledgedmoney includePayPal,CitiBank,andS&PGlobal, andthedepartmentsaysthis“willsupport jobcreation,driveinnovation,anddeliver improvedservicesforconsumersintheUK”.

Thedepartmentdescribedtheinvestment

announcementas“reinforcingthestrengthof theUK-USeconomicpartnershipaheadofnext week’spresidentialstatevisit”.

ChancellorRachelReevessaid:“This commitmentfromAmerica’sleadingfinancial institutionsdemonstratestheimmense potentialoftheUKeconomy,ourstrong relationshipwiththeUSandtheconfidence globalinvestorshaveinourPlanforChange, whichismakingtheUKthebestplaceinthe worldtoinvestanddobusiness.

“Theseinvestmentswillcreatethousandsof high-skilledjobs.”

TheUKhasbeenseekingtocompletean economicandtradedealwiththeUStoavoid beingnegativelyimpactedbyPresident Trump’s disruptivetariffspolicy.

ThestatevisittotheUKhasbeenseen asonepartof adiplomaticstrategybythe governmenttowinfavourwithhim. ■

Reskillingandupskilling infocusasthe‘half-life’ ofskillsgetsshorter

Theterm‘half-life’isnormallyusedinthefieldsofnuclear physicsandmedicalscienceto refertothetimeittakesfor aquantityto reducebyhalfitsinitialvalue –describingthe decayofradioactiveatomsoreliminationofdrugsfromthebody.

Butit’salso atermthat’sbeenadoptedinthe recruitmentandHR sectorstodescribethetimeframeforhowlongittakesfor askillto becomeobsolete.

In recentyearstherehasbeen araftof research reportsandanalysis thatindicatesthatthehalf-lifeofskillsisrapidlygettingshorter, particularlyintechnology relatedfieldsthathavebeenmostdisruptedby advancesinanddeploymentofartificialintelligence(AI).

Amajor reportbythe WorldEconomicForum(WEF)atthestartof thisyearexaminedthistrend.Basedontheperspectivesofover1,000 leadingglobalemployers representingmorethan14millionworkers from22industryclustersinover50economiesaroundtheworld,the FutureofJobsReportmadesomebigpredictions.

Itsaidthatonaverage,workerscanexpectthattwo-fifths(39%)of theirexistingskillsetswillbetransformedorbecomeoutdatedoverthe nextfiveyears.

Whilethisisconsistentwithotherforecastsinthemarket,theWEF saidthismeasure of“skillinstability”hasslowedcomparedtoprevious editionsofits report,from44%in2023and ahighpointof57% in2020inthewakeofthepandemic.Itputthisfindingdowntoan increasingshareofworkers(50%)likelyhavingcompletedtraining, reskillingorupskillingmeasures,comparedto41%inthe report’s2023 edition.

Butif,asthis reportsuggests,thehalflifeofskillscontinuesto reduce,itmeansthatthere isstill ahugeneedforemployersacrossthe world,includinginNorther nIreland,tokeepinvestinginupskillingand reskillingintheyearsahead.

Upskilling referstotraditional,oftencareer-orientedtrainingthat expandsexistingknowledgeinthesamefield.Reskillingis retrainingto acquirenewskillstotakeondifferenttasks.

The WorldEconomicForumestimatesthathalfofallemployeesmay need reskillingby2025duetotheadoptionofnewtechnologies.

Bythisstageof2025,it’shighlylikelyanyone readingthisinNorthern Irelandhasusedartificialintelligenceinsomeaspectofdailylife. Whetherthat’sgettingdirectionsfromSiriorthemorestrategicuse ofChatGPT,GeminiandCoPilot,we’renolongersurprisedwhenAIisa keycomponentofthetechnologyweuse.

WhatisstillbeingworkedoutbyemployersinNIiswhatthisrise

inAImeansorganisations.Arethepeoplecapableofbeingupskilled, orwillit requiremoreinvestmentincomplete reskillingtomaketheir organisationfitforthefuture.

Whileskillsshortageshavebeen along-termissueforcertain industries,thechangingdemandsofnewjobsandnewtechnologies meansthefocuson reskillingandupskillinghassharpened.

TheWEF reportlistedAIandbigdataatthetopofthelistof fastest-growingskills,followedcloselybynetworks,cyber-securityand technologyliteracy.Ontheotherside,manualdexterity,enduranceand precisionsaw anotablenetdeclineinskillsdemand.

Butitalsosaidthatemployersaregoingtohavetocomplement thesetechnology-relatedskillsoverthenextfiveyearswithtrainingin creativethinking, resilience,flexibilityandagility,whiletraitssuchas curiosityand acommitmenttolifelonglearningwerealsotippedtorise inimportance.

AnalyticalthinkingwasalsolistedbytheWEFasthemostsoughtaftercoreskillamongemployers,withsevenoutof10companies consideringitasessentialin2025.Thisisfollowedby resilience, flexibilityandagility,leadershipandsocialinfluence.Theseareallskills thathavealwaysbeenvaluedbyemployers.

Thefindingssuggestgettingyourteams readyforthefuture will requireinvestmentin arangeofinterdisciplinaryskills.Evenfor organisationswith astrongtrack recordoftraining,stickingwithwhat you’vedonebeforemaynolongerbeenough. ■

NIpowerstation planningto retain temporarychimney afterStorm Darraghdamage

Nor thernI re land ’s larg estp ower st ationwants permis sion to ke ep anew te mp orar yc himney whic h wa sb uilt af teranother wa ssever ely da ma ge da mi damajor storm.

High windsc ausedmajor damage to oneof Ballylumford powers tation’s 75mflue st acks back during StormDarragh in De cemb er last year

That hassince be en takendow n, anda 50.8 mchimney inst alled. It wascompleted this summer

Now, thefirm behind thep ower st ation, EP Ballylumford,wants to retain thechimney for “uptothree year s.

“I nD ecember2024, ex tremelyhighw inds during StormDarragh resulted in significant damage to oneofthe exis ting 75mflue st acks lo catedatthe rear of ‘C’Station know nasthe GT 21 main st ack,”supportingdocuments say.

It says in ordertokeepone of it sgas turbines op erational, it “has be en ne cess ar y forthe applic anttourgentlyreplace the damageds tack with atemporary st ack measuring50. 8m high so theapplicant can continue to fulfiltheir contractualobligations to theSys temO peratorfor Northern Ireland (SON I) to generate elec tricit yand ensure the ongoings tability ands ecurit yofthe regions’ elec tricit ysupply.”

Thereplacement st ackb ec ameoperational in July 2025 andisintendedtoremaininplace fora period of up to thre eyears

It says that a“permanentreplacement st ackw illbeins talled (subje ct to obtainingthe ne cess ar ys tatutory approvals) ”.

“T he time period during whichthe temp orar ys tack is op erationalw illbeused to allowcomprehensive engine eringredesign andpro curementofap ermanent replacement stack.”

Meanwhile, EP Ballylumford is also planning to developa3 00 MW batter yenerg ys torage sy stem (B ESS) at it sI slandmagee base

That wouldinclude asitew ithbat tery unit s, transformers,s witchrooms,asubst ationand controlroom.

“Attimes of high wind output andlow customer demand,the grid op erator (SON I) must ‘cur tail’renewable energy that is being produced that cannot be us ed on thegrid,” thefirm says in it splans

“Cur tailment (the ac tofreducingenerg y delivery from agenerator such as aw ind turbineorw indfarm) canarise foranumber of reas ons, though of teno ccur sw henthe amount of elec tricit ygenerated at anyone timeexce edsdemand.

“T hisrequiresthe grid op erator to reduce lo calgeneration( i.e. sw itch of turbines )to maintain grid integrit yand st abilit yw hen

they couldother wise be producingrenewable energy.”

Elsewhere, alarge batter yenerg ys torage sy stem (B ESS) couldbebuilt in Co Antrim

The6 00 MW scheme,loc ated outsid e Lisburn, wouldbelinkedtothe city ’s main elec tricit ysubst ation.

It wouldcover anarea of around eight acres, andsit beside anearbyhugesolar developmentonthe Moneybro om Road

It ’s be en clas sedasamajor planning applic ationhere, giventhe size of thescheme.

Theapplication hasb eenmad ebyL isburn Energy Ltd, with LesRos sPlanningactingas planning consultant s.

“T he facility will storeele ctricity when thereisasurplus of generation in thes ys tem, anddischarge elec tricit yontothe grid when thereisad eficitofg eneration,”supporting do cument ss ay. ■

McCartan Turkington Breen: developingthenext generationoflegal experts from thegroundup

Foralmost50years,lawfirm McCartan TurkingtonBreen hasprovidedclients with afullserviceoffering,workingacrossthesectorsthroughoutNorthern Ireland.Seniorpartner StephenClarke speakstoUlsterBusinessabouttaking uphisnewroleatthehelm,workingacrossawiderangeofspecialisms,putting theclientfirst,anddevelopingthenextgenerationoftalentfromwithin

McCartan TurkingtonBreenis apracticewhichcontinuesto focusondevelopingthenext generationfromthegroundup –utilising decades-worthofskillsandexperience acrossitsseniorleadershipteam.

Themanatthehelmofthe firmisStephen Clarke –aseasonedlawyerwithsome26 yearsofexperience,workingwithMcCartan TurkingtonBreenthroughouthiscareer.

“Ihavealwaysworkedinlitigation,” Stephentells UlsterBusiness.“Ihavea backgroundinCountyCourtlitigation,and morerecently,myfocushasbeenonJudicial Reviews,Coronialinquests,andCrownCourt matters.”

Stephenbecame apartnerin2011before takingoverthe roleasSeniorPartnerin

Januarythisyear.

McCartan TurkingtonBreenhasitslocal expertise,face-to-face relationships,and personaltouchattheforeofwhatitdoes.

Thefirmdealswith awiderangeofareas acrosslaw,fromhigh-endcorporateM&A tocommercialand residentialproperty, ,employment,probate,familylawand insurancelitigation.

“As afirmweoffer afullsuiteofservices, andhave abiglitigationpractice,”Stephen says.

“Wecontinuouslyworkacrossboththe CountyCourtandHighCourt,mostlyforthe

plaintiffhoweverthatisonlypartofthepicture We havedepartmentsdealingwith arangeof privateclientmatters,matrimonialandfamily law,employmentlaw,commerciallitigation andboth residentialandcommercialproperty transactions.

McCartan TurkingtonBreenhasgrown into afirmwithover70staff–doublingits headcountintheyearssinceStephen first joinedbackin1999.

“Over recentyearswe’veseengreat expansioninourworkstreamswhichhasin tur nleadtooursignificantincreaseinstaffing levels”Stephensays.

StephenClarkepictured outsidetheRoyalCourts ofJusticeinBelfast

WhathelpssetMcCartan Turkington Breenapart,Stephensays,isnotjustits legalexpertise,butitsculture.Thefirmhas atraditionofdevelopingitspeoplefromthe groundup.

“Weare averytightpartnershipandwork togetherasoneteam,”Stephensays.“We givefullconsiderationtothedecisionsthat havetobemade,takinginputfromeveryone involved.

“Manyofushavebeenhereformorethan 20years–havinggrownupwiththefirm. We wanttoprovideanenvironmentwherebywe cantrainthosewhoarejuststartingout,so theycanbecomethebest.”

Manyofitssenior figures,includingStephen himself,begantheircareersatMcCartan TurkingtonBreenandprogressedthrough theranks.Thefirmiscommittedtoproviding graduatesandjuniorstaffwiththetraining, encouragementandopportunitiestheyneed toexcel.

ForStephen,it’saboutthisdevelopment acrosstheworkforce,andcreatingtalented leadersofthefuture.

“It’saboutencouragement,training,and givingthemtheexperiencetheyneedto developgreatskillsetswhichtheycanuseto takethefirmforward.

“Wehaveanopenplanoffice,whichallows traineestolear nfromthoseabovethem–allowingthemtoaskquestions,andbeing shownhowtodealwith araftofsituations.

“It’safirmwhichcangrowandevolve organically.Newemployeesandtraineescan quicklylear nandseehowthingsshouldbe done.

“Wewanttotrainpeopletobethebest theycanbeandourmainfocusistodevelop thenextthegenerationofgreatlawyersfor thecontinuedsuccessofthe firm.”

Theapproachhascreatedloyalty,withstaff retentionparticularlyhigh,withmanybuilding longcareerswithinthe firm.Eventhose>

COVE

whotaketimeawayoften return,drawnback bythefirm’s supportiveethos.“We’vehad peoplegofor ayearoutandthencomeback,” Stephensays.“Thatsays alot.”

Manyofthefirm’spartnersarealsoranked intheChambersUKLegalGuide.

Stephensayspartofthefirm’sstrengthis seeing aclient“as aperson”,witheachclient asimportantasthelast,regardlessofthesize orscaleoftheworkinvolved.

“Weseetheclientas aperson,nota number,”hesays.“Forthem,even asmall claimmightbethebiggestissueintheirlives.”

Thatclarityextendstocorporateclients,too. OneofStephen’slong-standingclients, amajor UKandEuropeancompany,originallycameto himafterfacinghimontheothersideofthe table.“Theydecideditwasbettertohaveme ontheirside,”hesays.

McCartan TurkingtonBreenisalsothe firmworkingwithNIPSA –Norther nIreland’s largestpublicsectortradeunion, representing

thousandsofmembersinemploymentdisputes andclassactions.

“We’vebeeninvolvedincasesthathave goneallthewaytotheSupremeCourt,” Stephensays.

“Forexamplewe’redealingwithdata breachclaims,publiclawchallenges,ongoing cases –thequalityoftheworkisveryhigh, andsoarethe results.”

Withitseyeonitsowncorporatesocial responsibility,McCartan TurkingtonBreen continuestostrivetoliveandworkbyitsown values,whileamplifyingtheminitsactions withbothinternalandexternalstakeholders.

Andcommunitycontinuestobean importantpartoftheMcCartan Turkington Breenjourney.

Thatincludesworkingwith arangeof charities,including Women’sAidFederation Norther nIreland,thefirm’scharitypartnerof theyear2025.

McCartan TurkingtonBreenalsosponsored

severalwell-knownlocalsportteamsincluding BelfastHarlequins,RosarioFCandBredagh GAC.

Lookingahead,Stephenisclearthatthe firm’sfuturewillbebuiltonbothorganicand targetedgrowth.

“Wewanttoconsolidatethepositionwe’re inwithcivillitigation,”hesays.“It’sanarea thathasdevelopedandgrownconsiderably overthepastfourorfiveyears,andwe’ll continuetobuildonthatsuccess.”

Atthesametime,McCartan Turkington Breenissharpeningitsfocusonnew opportunities.

“We’reseekingtogrowourprivateclient work,ourcorporatelitigation,andcommercial propertydisputematters,”hesays.

“Contestedprobateisanotherkeyareathat iscontinuingtoexpand.Whenitcomesto employmentlaw,theaimissimple:tostayat theverytopofourgame,aswehavebeenfor quite afewyearsnow.” ■

‘I thinkwhen thedustsettles companieswill realise AI isn’t thepanacea they thoughtitwas’

FinTrUfounderandBelfastChamberpresident DarraghMcCarthy speaksto JohnMulgrew aboutgrowth,AIdisruptionandwhyit maynotbethepanaceaforall,thecostofdoingbusiness,andwhat needstobedonetoimproveBelfastcitycentre

TheChancellor’srecentincreaseof NationalInsurancecontributions forfirmsadded£1.5mtoFinTrU’s bottomline,founderDarraghMcCarthy tellsme.

Whenhesetuphisfinancialservices businessin2013,itwaslittlemorethanan ambitiousideawith ahandfulofemployees.

Now,adecadeon,thecompanyemploys around1,400peopleacrossitsprimaryoffices inBelfast,Derry,Letterkenny,andPortugal, whileDarraghhimselfnowholds apostas presidentofBelfastChamber

Heseeshis rolewithBelfastChamber,and hiscurrent roleaspresident,as“payingback”.

“Iwantedtobeinvolved,notjustbe akind of asoletraderorentrepreneur,doingmy business.

“IthoughtthattheChamberwas a wonderfulvehicleforgettinginvolvedand reallyconnectingbusinesswiththebroadercity andthevariouscommunitiesinthecity

“Ithas reallygainedhugemomentum …wehavenowover600members. We’ve hadprobablyovereven180joininthelast twoyears. Youcanfeelthere’sjustaneverincreasingneedfor,Iguess,thatvoiceof business,andforbusinesstoalsogivebackand participate.”

Thereare challengesoutthereacrossthe businesslandscape.TheincreaseinNational Insuranceand reductioninthresholdhascost thebusinessaround£1.5m ayear

“TheNationalInsurancerisebythe Chancellorwasabsolutely asuckerpunchfor us,”hetells UlsterBusiness.

“That’s£1.5monourbottomline –that’s notimmaterial. Ihavesympathyforthe Chancellor…butatthatmargin,sheis definitelynotencouragingmetohireentry levelpeople.

“…maybethatishowwe’refinallygoing tosolvetheproductivitycrisisthat’sfacedthis countryformanyyears. We’regoingtoforce allcompaniestomovemorefurtherupthe valuechain.”

Around750ofFinTrU’speoplearebasedin Belfast,withmore than400inthenorth-west, 100inLetterkenny,200inPortugal,andsmall teamsinLondonandNew York.

Onhisowncompany’sfuture,andthe impactofartificialintelligence(AI),while Darraghknowsautomationwillplay apartin all ourfutures,hebelieves,“whenthedust settles”manybigfirmsmaydiscover“it’snot thepanacea”theyallthoughtitwas.

“Theissueyouhavein ahighly regulated environmentisthatAIcannotsolvevery

specifictasks,”hesays.

“We’vealreadystartedseeinginthe stockmarketsglobally…investorsnow arequestioningthetrillionsofdollarsthat companieshavespentinAI,andthere’sno retur noninvestment,right?Becausepeople say,well,thisseemedgreat,butactually,are youactuallymaking areturn?

“Ithinkitisabsolutelygoingtotransform howweworkeveryday …andtherewillbe fewerpeopledoingtaskswehavetraditionally done.”

DarraghtookoverasChamberpresidentin June,andisfocusingonbothentrepreneurship andartsandculture.

Hesaysentrepreneurshipisn’tjustabout startupsbutaboutgettingthingsdone.

Andhebelievesartsandcultureshouldn’tbe seenasanadd-on,orluxury,butasessentialto avibrantcity

ButBelfastownitslocalchallenges.

Thatincludesthestateofthecitycentre itself,withmanymembersraisingconcerns.

“Thecitycentreisnotascleanasitshould be …there’smoreantisocialbehaviourthan wewouldlike.

“Weabsolutelyhave asignificantnumber ofmemberswhowantmorefootfall,whodo wantmore peoplecomingintoshop,intotheir

outlets,whowantthemtogototheirbars,or gototheir restaurants.”

Thecitycentrehasseenanupliftin recent months,whilethereare morecranesonsite gettingmajordevelopmentsunderway

ButDarraghbelievesthatincreasingthe numberofpeoplecallingthecitycentrehome, andlivingthere, remainskeytoitsgrowthand long-termsuccess.

“Ifyouhavetheseyoungpeople,living incitycentres,thathelpswiththebroader rejuvenation,”hesays.

“They’llgotothegymsthere,they’llgoto restaurants,they’llwalkhomefromtheirwork, andthey’llsupportthecyclingschemes.But,it

takesmanyyearsofplanning.”

Speakingofplanning,Norther nIreland’s planningsystem remainsanissueformembers.

“Thereare planningchallengesinthe system.Thatcomesbackagaintothedecisionmakingtimeandhowstuffgetsdecidedand progressed.Isitprogressingasquicklyasweas quickaswewouldlike?No.”

Onehugeswatheofthecityhaslaidlargely dormantis Tribeca.Thislong-delayedscheme byCastlebrookehasmadeverylittleprocess since planningwasfirstsubmittedbackin 2017.

BelfastCityCouncilhasalreadypurchased theAssemblyRoomsbuildingfromthe

developer,butmuchoftheareainandaround thetopofRoyal AvenueandNorthStreet remainsuntouched.

Earlierthisyear,Castlebrookepulledfourof themainplanningapplicationsassociatedwith thescheme.

“There’sbeen alotoftalkabout Tribeca, andclearly,wewouldlikeitifithadbeen developed,andwasfurtheron,”Darraghsays.

“Thatdoesn’tmeanweshouldthrowinthe towel –westillneedtohopeitwillgetitwill getdeveloped.

“From aChamberperspective,wewould welcomeeveryinvestmentwecan,andwe’re definitelynotinfavourofdelayingit.”

EDUCAT ION

Ulster University Business School:

akey economicdriver andindustry partner for50years

UlsterUniversityBusinessSchool hasbuilt areputationasaleaderin innovation,withstronglinkstoindustry –playingitspartingrowingtheNorthern Irelandeconomyfor50years. ProfessorGillianArmstrong,pro-vicechancellor andexecutivedeanofTheBusinessSchool,speaksaboutitspioneeringwork,its partnershipswithbusiness,andplaying akeyroleindevelopingoureconomy

NorthernIrelandwas averydifferent place50yearsago.

Inthefivedecadessincethe UlsterUniversityBusinessSchoolwasfirst founded,the regionhasexpandedandgrown considerablywith astrengthenedeconomy –specialisingin arangeofindustriesandputting itselffirmlyontheglobalstage.

“ThetalentcomingoutofUlsterUniversity neverceasestoamazeme,”ProfessorGillian Armstrongsays.

“TheBusinessSchoolhasalwaysbeen verywellconnectedtobusiness –combining research-informedteachingwith ahighly appliedapproachthatanticipatestheskills needed,andwhenthey’reneeded.”

Fromtheverybeginning,itmadeitsmark byintroducingtheUKandIreland’sfirst AccountingDegreein1975.Thatpioneering spirithascontinued,withmanyfirsttomarket programmedevelopmentsthatmeetemerging market requirements.TheUK’sfirstdegree inFinancial Technologyandthelaunchof a MastersinBusinessin Technology(MBT)have allbeenintroducedin recentyears.

Thatfocuson relationshipswithbusinesses, fromacrossarangeofsectors,continuesto befrontandcentre –educatingandinspiring studentlearning,whilsthelpingtomeet specificmarketneeds.

TheBusinessSchoolworksacross undergraduate,postgraduate,executive educationandindustry-specificprogrammes.

“Whathelpssetsusapartisourability topartner,”ProfessorArmstrongsays.“But

it’speople-centredpartnering– it’s allabout people topeople.Good,strong relationships withtheexternalworld,particularlythe businesscommunity.That’showwedo business.”

PartoftheBusinessSchool’s successisalso centredarounditsstrongbaseofacademics –manyofwhomhavecomedirectlyfromthe worldofbusinessandentrepreneurship

“There’sahighpercentageofstaffwhohave comefrombusiness,orprofessionalpractice,” shesays.“Alongsidethem,wehaveanactive researchteam,ensuring adynamicandwellroundedacademicbase.”

“It’sarichmix:peoplewho’vebeenthere anddoneitinbusiness,bringingtheirnetworks

withthem; researcherspushingtheboundaries ofknowledge;and VisitingProfessorsand businessleadersaddingfreshperspectives.”

Those relationshipswiththebusiness community,and ahands-onopenapproach, remainkeyfortheschool.

“It’sallaboutpartnership,”Professor Armstrongsays.“Stayingrelevantforbusiness, whileusingthoseconnectionstoinformthe curriculumaswell.”

UlsterUniversityBusinessSchoolhasworked closelywithmajoremployers,including Deloitte(throughitspioneeringBrightStart Apprenticeship),Kainos,BelfastHarbour,CME Group,and Translink,amongstmanyothers.

ItalsosecuredtheSmallBusinessCharterin

UlsterUniversityBusinessSchoolannouncestheappointmentofsevennewvisitingprofessors.ProfessorPaulSeawright,deputyvice-chancellor, UlsterUniversity,Carolinevan derFeltzFCIPD,HRdirectoratDanskeBank,MichelleShirlowMBE,founderofFoodNI,CarolineMcGroary,charteredaccountantandlectureratDCUBusinessSchool,Maeve MonaghanMBE,chiefexecutiveofNOWGroup,DanielBrobyPhD,professoroffinancialtechnologyattheAsianInstituteofManagement,LynneRainey,businessleaderand executivecoach,andProfessorGillianArmstrongMBE,provice-chancellorandexecutivedeanofUlsterUniversityBusinessSchool

recognitionofitscommitmenttosupporting smallbusinesses,studententrepreneurship,and thelocaland regionaleconomy

TheBusinessSchoolalsoplaces astrong emphasisonlifelonglearning –from placements,toapprenticeships,EMBAs,short courses,andtailoredexecutiveeducation.

AndNorthernIrelandhascomealongway inthosefivedecades,with aburgeoningtalent pool.

“Thereissomuchtalenthere,”Professor Armstrongsays.“Youseethetransformation thathappenseverydayoftheweek,acrossall ourcampuses”

Reflectingonchangesoverthelast30 years,theschool’searlyworkwaslargely withSMEsandstartups.ButsincetheGood FridayAgreement,foreigndirectinvestment (FDI)hastransformedthebusinesslandscape, withmulti-nationalservicecentresandglobal corporatessettingupshophere.

TheBusinessSchoolnowsupportsboth endsofthespectrum:theentrepreneurialSME baseandlargecorporatesneedingworkforce planning,skillspipelines,andsuccession strategies.

ItalsooperatestheCentreforSustainable FamilyEnterprise –engagingin arangeof consultancy, researchandpractitioneroutputs

acrossmultipleindustriesandsectors–along withitsininvolvementintheUKGovernment funded“HelptoGrow”programme.

It’samongoneofthelargestbusiness schoolswithintheUKandIreland,spread acrossthreeNorthernIrelandcampuses,and haslong-standingpartnershipsinChina.

ThosesameAccountingandFinancedegrees runinBelfast,Derry /Londonderryandin China,ensuringglobalstandardsand relevance.

UlsterUniversityBusinessSchoolisalso lookingtothefuture,andgarneringtheskills of someofourleadersacrossindustryandthe third sector

It’sappointedsevenvisitingprofessors, furtherstrengtheningitsconnectionswith Northern Ireland’s businesscommunityand bringing freshperspectivesfromacrossthe globe. Thediversegroup reflectstheSchool’s local,national,andinternationaloutlook, spanningprivate,public,andsocialenterprise sectors,withexpertiserangingfromfinance, hospitality,foodanddrink,andprofessional services toHRandbusinessstrategy

AppointmentsincludeCarolineMcGroary, LynneRainey,MichelleShirlowMBE,Caroline vanderFeltz,MaeveMonaghanMBE,Robert Richardson,andDanielBroby.

“It’sabrilliantgroupofpeople,”Professor

Armstrongsays.“They’relikecriticalfriends, oradvisers,andtheyare verygoodatensuring wehavethat relevance,currencyandagilityto supporttheBusinessSchool.”

Lookingtothefuture,ProfessorArmstrong isacutelyawareofthechanginglandscape, includingthedevelopmentandevolutionofAI intheworkplace.

Andatthecentreofthatoutlook, remains UlsterUniversity’sstrategy:people,place,and partnership,whichseekstounlockcollective potentialtodeliversustainablefuturesforall.

“It’saboutfuture-proofingstudents,sothat whentheyleavehere,theyare preparedfor whatthey’re gettingintowithinanevolving workplace,”ProfessorArmstrongsays.

Andit’saboutensuringstudentsare connectedwith real-worldopportunities –continuingtobuildonthoserelationshipswith theprivatesector,andhelpingtofindpathways intoemployment.

“Thatconnectionpiece,that’swhereIthink theBusinessSchoolcontinuestohave astrong roletoplay,”ProfessorArmstrongsays.

“Wehavesomuchtalenthere,andwewant tocontinuetoplayourpartinthedevelopment ofthatnextgeneration,ensuringeconomic prosperity,developingoureconomy,locally,and enticingfurtherFDI.” ■

Review: Capparelliat theMill elevates topingredientsthrough techniqueandsublimesimplicity

JohnMulgrew pays avisittoCapparelliattheMill,locatedoutsideDundonald,to seewhetherthishighly-anticipated YotamOttolenghi-backedrestaurantwillhelpup

thesuburb’sculinarycredentials

Belfastcitycentrehasseen araftof placesopenandshutwith regularity overmanyyears.

Evenspotswhich,byallaccounts,were at thetopoftheirgameinthekitchen,failedto makeit.

Sometimes,it’swhencreativityandskillare letdownby alackofbusinessnous,lacklustre management,orbeingunpreparedforthe soaringoverheadswhensettingupshopasa bricksandmortarbusiness.

Buttheopeningoffresh restaurantsintheir placehashelpedfuelinterestinspendingmore timeinthecitycentreandwiderBelfastarea. Butthat’sjustit –Belfastisoftentheonefirmly infocus.

However,whenitwas revealedhighlyregardedLondon-based restaurateurand businessman YotamOttolenghiwasbackinga new restauranthere–andnotintheheartof thecity–interestpiqued.

CarlosCapparelli,andwifeLucie,arethe namesonthedoorofthe recently-converted 18thcenturyderelictmillontheoutskirtsof Dundonald.TheBraziliannativespenthis formativeyearsinsenior rolesbehindthe stovesof YotamOttolenghi’sgrowingLondon empire,beforemovingbacktohiswife’snative Belfast.

Capparelliwillbefamiliartothosewho frequenttheodddeliupanddownthe country.He’sbeenmakingfreshanddried pastaforyears,aswellasproducing alineof high-end readymeals.

Andnow, somefiveyearsafterpayingan inauguralvisittotheOldMill –Capparelliat theHillhasopeneditdoors.

Downstairs,there’sasturdycollectionof localdeligoods,alongwith acoffeeshop.But it’sthroughtheglassdoorsandpastthenow workingwaterwheel,anduptothesecond floor,tothemain restaurant.

Thesignageandbrandingismoder nand clean,thespaceitself acombinationofairy andbright,warmingandindustrial,framedby plentyofglassandswathesofwildflowers.

There’satightmenuofthingswhichall read well. Asnackofpancontomatebringsforth exceptionallybrightandwell-seasonedfresh tomatoes,withthatsizeablepunchofsodium andsavouryfrom asingleanchovyoneachof thetwoslices,thebread,suitablycrispatop and alittlecharred.Theonlycriticismiswe

coulddowithanotherofthelittlesaltyfellas.

Asmallplateofhoumousisblitzeduntil exceptionallysmoothandquiteloose,yetstill creamy.There’swelcomeacidandfatfrom theaccompanyingchilliandoil,withsome requiredtexturalcontrastfrom afewsunflower seeds.

Cauliflowershawarmaisstraightfromthe Ottolenghiplaybook. Twolargefloretsare charred,deckled,andcaramelisedbyheat. There’sawhackofdeepandrichspicing, balancedwithearthyandnuttytahini,with softenedonionsaddingsomealliumdepth. Ididspotthisonthemenu retrospectivelyat £17but£17.20iswhatappearedonthefinal bill.

THEBILL

Hummus

Pancontomate

Attheexpenseofcrispskin,half arotisserie chickentickseveryothersingledesiredbox.

There’sabeautifulshineandglazeonthe bird,andthebreastmeatisexceptionally moist,withtheseasonpenetratinginside, whetherit’sbeenbrinedorthatslow rotisserie hashelpedthe robustnessofflavour.

Thesauceisheavilyinfluencedbythat slow-cookingandistheveryessenceofwell-

brownedpoultry,seeminglyenrichedwith somedairyfat.It’sslickandtackyinallthebest ways,whiletheaccompanyingfreshherbsand greensadd alightnessandlift.

Thechipslooklikesomethingstraightofthe StJohnkitchen.Asidefromturningthevolume upagainwithbeeforduckfat –whichcould beoverkillsittingasidechickenalso render themnolongervegetarian –theyareperfect

£6

£6.50

Cauliflowershawarma£17.20

Half rotisseriechicken£19

Espresso

£3.10

Tea£3

Total £54.80

specimens –deckledwithcracksandcrevices, punctuatedwith aheftymayonnaise.

Forthosewith apenchantforthebovine, there’sapicanhaonthere,whichisnow listedat£25.50online,oryoucansplashout on a40quidtomahawk,andthereare also twopastaoptionsonthemenuwhich really shouldbestrongperformers,givenCapparelli’s experience.

Thiswasessentiallyopeningday,andit alreadyfeltpolished,bothinwhatcomesout ofthekitchenandthefrontofhouse. You canclearlyseebitsandpiecesofwheremore than adecadeofworkingalongside amaster ofbothMediterraneanandMiddleEastern flavoursOttolenghibeginstoseepin –the spicingandflavours,puttingupliftedvegetable dishescentrestage.

Thereare alotofgoodthingsatworkhere, andit’searlydays.Capparellicertainlywarrants areturn,especiallyon abrightandsunnyday tomakethemostofthatcapaciousglass-lined dining room. ■

Luxury designerbrand shutting onlyNorthernIrelandstore

Aluxurydesignerfashionbrandhas shutdownitsonlystandalone storeinNorther nIreland.

MichaelKorshascloseditsstoreonthe groundfloorofBelfast’sVictoriaSquare shoppingcentre

TheUSfashiondesignerfirst revealeditwas openedupthestoreherebackin2015.

TheNew Yorklabelwith afamiliarMK monogram remains apopularappendage hangingfromhandbagsandemblazoned acrossthebrand’swatches.

Thecitycentrefashionandaccessoriesstore openedfollowingitsdebutventureinDublin. However,itnowoperates astoreatKildare Village.

Anumberofnew retailersareduetomove intothecentreinthecomingmonths,with

someotherbrandscomingtotheendof leases.

ThatincludesPullandBear.It’stakingonthe formerH&Munitonthefirstfloor,andwas formerlylocatedat asmalleradjacentstore. Bershka, abrandownedbyZaraparent companyInditex,willmakeitsdebutinthe Belfastshoppingdestinationthisyear.

JDSporthasalso recentlyopened anew, largestore,atthecornerwhichwasformerly Tessuti,and TopShopbeforethat.

Thissummer,Legoopeneditsfirst standalonestoreinNorther nIrelandatthecity shoppingspot.

Meanwhile,jewellerybrandAstrid &Miyu hasopeneditsdoors.

VictoriaSquarehasalsoannouncedthat luxurybeautybrandSpaceNK,foundedby Norther nIrelandwomanNickyKinnaird, willopenunderits roofasit relocatesfrom

DonegallSquare.Thebrandisopeninga boutiqueonthelowergroundlevelnextto Reiss,AllSaintsandAstrid &Miyu.It’smoving onfromDonegallSquareNorthaftermore than20years.

VictoriaSquaresaidthebrand’smove reflectitsstrengthandappeal,withthe presenceofcomplementarystoreslikeRituals, SculptedbyAimeeandTheWhiteCompany.

RussellBanham,UKheadatCommerz Real,assetmanagerof VictoriaSquare,said: “Astrid &Miyuselecting VictoriaSquarefor itsdebutandSpaceNK relocatingintothe centreare verystrongendorsements.Aswith thesigningofBershkaearlierintheyear, theyhighlighthowimportantourassetis forbrands,whethertheyaretakingthose firststepsin anewmarketorareestablished operatorsseekingtheverybestspaceBelfast hastooffer. ■

Ad-VanceEngineering: bespoke tool production,moulding,and problem solving across thesectors

Fromhumblebeginningsin atoolroomtobecoming atrustedmanufacturerof bespokeinjectionmouldingtoolsfortieronemedtechandglobalaerospacefirms, Ad-VanceEngineering hasbuiltitsreputationontrust,technicalexcellence andproblemsolving.Managingdirector Roger Vance shareshowthefamily-run companyhascarvedoutitsplaceinoneofthemostdemandingindustries,and whereitisheadednext

ForRoger Vance,toolmakinghasbeen alifelongpursuit

Hiscareerbeganasanapprentice, workingonaluminiumdie-casting tools forcarburettors,waterpumpsandother automotiveparts

Now,hisfirmAd-VanceEngineering providesthecompletedesign,manufacture, refurbishmentandmouldingsolutionsfor internationalcustomersintheinjection mouldingindustry

It’safirmwhichworksacrossmultiple sectors,includingmedtech,aerospace,defence andautomotiveandisabletoproducebespoke

mouldingsolutionsfor araftofleading customers.

“Mylifehasbeeninmoulding,”Rogersays. “Itisverydifficulttogetestablishedinthis industry,andItisallaboutcredibility,quality, relationshipsandtrust.Ifsomebody’sgoingto placeasignificantorder,theywanttoknowwe willdeliverontimeandwithinbudget.

“Ibeganmycareeras ayoungapprentice withFordinBelfast,workingas atoolmaker Thecompanywashighlyspecialisedin aluminiumdiecasting –injectionmolten aluminiumintosteelmouldstoproduce components.

“Theirexpertiseextendedtopartssuchas distributors,carburettors,andwaterpumps, supplyingleadingmanufacturersofthetime

“Fromthere, Itransitionedintothe foodindustry,whereImanagedtoolroom operations. We focusedonhigh-volume, precisionmouldsforfoodpackaging,building toolsthathadtomeetthemostdemanding standards.

“Inmanyways,myprofessionallifehas always revolvedaroundmouldingand toolmaking.Thatexperienceeventuallyledme toestablishmyownbusinessaround25years ago,continuingtobuildonthefoundations

laidearlyinmycareer.”

Areputationfortrustand reliability underpinsAd-VanceEngineering. HeadquarteredoutsideLisburn,thebusiness hasgrown toa teamof10,withRoger’sson Samuelservingastechnicaldirector,leadingthe design,andmanufacturingoperations.

Thecompanyhasalsowonnumerous nationalindustryawards,confirmingitsabilities andsuccessinthemarketplace.

“We’renotjust asupplieroftoolsand mouldingsolutions,”Rogersays.“We’rea partnerinR&Danddevelopment.Customers willoftencome touswith adesignconcept, andninetimesoutof10wewilldesignitto makeitfitforpurpose. We’llthenimproveit functionally,build aprototype, refineitthrough trials,andverifyitforthemarket.Onlythendo wemoveintoproductiontooling.Thatend-toendcapabilityisunheardofinourindustry.”

“Wereallydoofferaonestopshopsolution. Andwhatsetsusapartisourabilityto provideonetoonerelationshipmanagement throughouttheentireproject.”

Itisthiswillingnesstotakeoncomplexor highly-specialisedchallengesthatdifferentiates Ad-Vancefromlow-cost,high-volume competitors.

“Ifyouwantsomethingstraightforward, youcouldtryChina,anditmightbefine.But forchallengingprojectswherethedesignisn’t quiteright,youneedsomeonewho cansit aroundthetablewithyou,work throughit, anddeliver asolutionfitformarket.Thatis whereweexcel.”

Ad-VanceEngineering’sclientbasespans aerospace,defence,construction,automotive and,increasingly,medicaltechnology.Each sectorbringsitsown requirements,but allrelyonprecisiontoolingandinjection mouldedproductsthatcanwithstandexacting productionandqualitydemands.

Thecompanycountstier-onesuppliersin

aerospaceamongitsclients.One recentproject involveddesigning asealsystemforjetengine components,enabling aglobalaerospace manufacturertocutwaste, reducemanpower andincreaseproductivityby50%.

“Theyhadtrieduniversities,industry specialists,everyone –andnobodycouldsolve it,”Rogersays.“Theycametous,andwe toldthem:wewon’tgetitrightfirsttime, butbythethirdorfourthtrialwewillhave itperfected.Andwedidexactlywhatwe promised.Theywereastoundedbythedegree ofskillinvolved.

“Thisabilitytoleverageleadingedgedesign technology;industry-leadingproduction equipment,advanced roboticsandvalidation technology –allfromourLisburnfacilitiesmakesus acompellingproposition.”

Intheautomotivesector,Ad-Vance Engineeringhasworkedwithprestigecar brands, re-engineeringdesignedpartstomake themmouldableandfitforproduction.

Butmedtechandpharma remainkey growthsectors,generatingaround athirdofits turnover

Andthecompanyisfocusingonthose sectors,aimingtogrowthatareaofthe businessintheyearsahead,workingwithfirms acrossIreland.

Whatunitestheseprojectsisthefirm’sknack forproblemsolvingcomplexchallenges.Many customersarriveatAd-VanceEngineering havingalreadytriedandfailedelsewhere–whetherthat’sthroughlargerinternational toolmakersorcheaperoffshoresuppliers.

“Weoftentakeonthejobsthatotherscan’t deliver,”Rogersays.“Wedon’tturnpeople awayifthey’vegot achallenge. We willtake thedesign,improveit,andgivethem aproduct theycanbeconfidentintakingtomarket.”

Thisagilityappliesnotonlytomulti-nationals butalsotoSMEs.Rogercitestheexampleof asmalllocalbuildingproductscompanythat

needed adiscontinuedrubbercomponent Attemptstosource areplacementfromChina hadfailed.

“Theygaveusthesamplesandwithintwo dayswehaddevised asolution. Veryquicklythe customermadetheirorderdecisionalongwith theirPOanddeposit.Thatkindofspeedand decisivenessis refreshing,anditshowsthere’s abigopportunityacrossIrelandforcompanies likeourstostepinwhenpeople realiselocal expertiseisoftenthebestwaytogo.”

Wherethecompanyoncereliedheavilyon clientsinEngland,todayitsfocusisfirmlyon servingglobalsupplychainsfortieroneand twocustomersontheislandofIreland.

“Around90%ofourbusinessusedtobein England.Nowitisonly10%.IntheRepublic, biggerbudgetsandcontractsareavailable, wherethepriorityispremiumquality, service andsupplychain resilience.”

Thisshifthasbeenacceleratedbytheboom inIreland’smedtechsector,particularlyaround GreaterDublin,Galway ,ShannonandSligo, whereglobalpharmaandmedicaldevice companiescluster

JamesCoyle,non-executivedirector, sees a significantopportunityamongthefrustrated smallercustomers.“Thebigfirmsare flatout withpremiumclients. Tiertwocustomers cannotgettheserviceandturnaroundthey need.Thatiswherewecomein.Wecanturn projectsaroundquicklyandkeepthemonthe island,meaningcompaniesdonothavetotake onadditionalriskinlookingtoChina.”

Ad-VanceEngineeringhasalsobuiltstrategic partnerships,includingwithJLGoor–Irelands keysupplierofindustry-leadingFanucinjection mouldingmachines. We areproudtopartner withtheteamatJLGoorandusetheir Roboshotinjectionmouldingequipmentinour production.

Lookingahead,Rogerisclearaboutgrowth, andthenextstepsforthebusiness.

“Medtechisthebigtargetforus,”hesays “It’sahugeglobalindustry,andouraimis tobecome atrustedgo-topartnerforthese companiesacrossIreland.”

Thestrategyistokeepbuildingcredibility throughproblem-solving,while reinforcing thecompany’sreputationforqualityand trust.Growthwillalsocomefromdeepening partnerships,particularlyinIreland,andfrom continuingtodemonstratetheadvantageof localexpertiseoveroffshorecompetitors. ■

‘Askingforinvestmentwas like, youdon’t know me... but canIhave£10m?’

Acircuitousjourney,takinginhis hometownofBangor,Australia andSouthEastAsia,landed JamieMcCoubreyintheworldof providinghigh-endworkspacetofirms reluctanttocommitto atraditional lease.

Since2020,he’sbeenthejointfounder andmanagingdirectorofUrbanHQ,an

upmarketflexibleofficebusinessatEagleStar HouseinBelfast.

Butittookanaudaciouspitchtolandlords ofofficebuildingsaroundBelfasttofind therightbusinesspartner –R yan Walkerof Ballymena-basedpropertydeveloper,Magell–tostarthisownenterprise.

NowUrbanHQhasmarkedfiveyears inbusiness,withtenantsincludingmajor

globalfirmsinprofessionalservicesandtech. Lastyear,UrbanHQwassoldbyMagellto entrepreneursConallHumstonandJustin Quirk.

Jamiehadstartedhiscareerinpropertywith fiveyearsatHalifaxPropertyServicesinhis hometownofBangor.Hejoinedthebusiness straightafterleavingCampbellCollegeineast Belfastafterdecidinguniversitywasn’tforhim.

“Ivaluedhousesforaboutfiveyearsin Bangor, butafterthat, Iwantedtotravelthe world… Iwentawayforsixmonthsandcame backaboutfouryearslater,”hesays.

Hisadventureswith agroupoffriends includedSouthEastAsiaandAfrica,andtwo yearsinAustralia,wherehebeganworkingin commercialproperty.

Onhis return home,hegot ajobatflexible officefirmPremierBusinessCentres,followed by amovetoasimilarbusiness,Glandore,in 2010.

Butaftersometime,hewas readyfor anotherchallenge.“Ihadthatsevenyearitch, andI’dalwayswantedtodomyownflexible workspacebutneverhadthat£10minthe bank,likemostofusmortals.

“Iwenttocommercialagentsintownthat Iknew,sawthebuildingsthatwereavailable, andaskedthemtoputmeinfrontofthe landlords, abitlikeDragon’sDen.

“Ididabouthalf adozenofthese,and youcouldwrite abookaboutallthedifferent personalities.Buteventually Ryan Walkerof Magellsaid‘yes’.

“Theconversationwentlike‘Iknowyou don’tknowmeanddon’tknowtheflexible officemarket,it’sstillquiteniche,butcanI have£10m,please?”

Thebuildingchosenfortheirprojectwas Magell’sEagleStarHouse,whichhadbeen builtbyMr Walker’sgrandfather.

“Ryan Walkerwasstillveryyoung,inhislate 20sor30atthetime,andthebrightestguyin the room,andhesaid‘okay,let’sdothis’.

“That’sprettymuchhowUrbanHQwas born.R yanhad alotofbusinessacumenand hadthepursestrings.”

Jamiechosethedesign,layoutsand floorplanandbrandingofthebuildingand engagedinteriordesignerRoisinLafferty.“It neededcompletelygutted,butthat’swhat weneededasitwouldn’thavestackedup otherwise.

“There were80hourweeksandworking untiltwointhemorningbeforeweopened.”

Fromthestart,theaimwastohavean upmarketspace.“We’refiveyearsonand peoplestillwalkin,saying‘wow’. We soughta boutiquehotelfeel,bringingthegroundfloor intotheschemeinsteadoflettingitoutas retailorfor acafe/restaurant.”

Anotherdistinctionfromotherflexible

officeshasbeennotlettingoutspacefor co-workingoroutsideevents,butinstead focusingoncoretenants.“Iknewthatour corebusinesswasbusinesseswithprivate officesupstairs,andwhenwewenttodesign thebuilding,weputourselvesintheshoesof aclient.

“Everydecisionwasmadeonthebasisof whatwewouldwantourselves.Ifyourcore businessispeoplewhoareupstairs…focuson themanditwillbebetterforthemandthey’ll staylongerinlong-run.”

Nordoesithireoutmeeting roomsor spaceforeventsbyoutsidecompanies,even thoughitdoeshave arooftopterrace –witha retractable roof –andbar,aswellas abaron thegroundfloor.

“Ourmodelisfor amembers’club,andwe mightlose5%on revenuewithoutco-working orevents,butwegain30%oftime.”

Hesaidthatinsteadofhavingco-working spaceusersonlaptops,“thefrontofhouse receptionisverytranquil”.

Therehasbeenover90%occupancysinceit opened,hesays,withmembersalsoinvitedto use awellnessstudioofferingyoga,Pilatesand chairmassages.

Italsoofferstwofreememberbarsinthe building,startingon aThursdayevening from5pmto8pm,andeventslikequizzes.

“Doingthingsmembers-only,thatclub-esque approach,allowsustodothingswhere everything’sincludedwith afullmembersbar onthegroundfloorand roof-topterrace.

“Thosearethingsyoucouldn’tdoifyou hadn’tpeoplecominginbecauseitwouldjust beabused.”

Lastyearthesaleofthebuildingwas announcedtoJustinQuirk, aproperty developer,andConallHumston, ahospitality entrepreneur.Jamiesaysthedealhasn’t changedthingsdaytoday.

“Thankfully,itliterallyhasbeeninpaper only.ThatwasoneoftheattractionsofJustin andConallwhentheyofferedtopurchasethe business.

“Wewereofferedbeforetosellthebusiness butwedeclineditaswedidn’tbelieveitwas therightfit.

“JustinandConallarelocalinvestorsand theysaidtheywerepurchasingthebusiness becauseobviouslyitwasthriving.

“Theysawthattheteamandmanagement

wereverystrong,andsaid‘we’renothere tomicro-manage,you’venailedit,andthisis whyit’sattractivetous’.”

Aplantoproceedwithdevelopmentofa buildingboughtoverbyMagellat46to52 UpperQueenStreetdidnotgoahead.“We gotquotesafterbuyingitfortheplanning, buildingandfurnishingit,thewholeshooting matchtothequalityofEagleStarHouse,and Ithinkitwas£7m afewyearsago.

“Wegotit repricedandwithinflationit cameto£10m.Itdidn’tstackupand really wasonlyhalfthesizeasEagleStarHousehas 500desksbutthiswasjust250.”

Thebuildingwaslaterputbackonthe market.

UrbanHQhastoyedwithexpandingunder itsnewownership.“Butwedecided,let’sjust bethebestat asinglebuildingand reallynail that,like areallygoodboutiquehotelora Michelin-starred restaurant.It’sprovidedus with asustainablebusinessmodelthathas attractedsome reallygoodqualitybusinesses inBelfast.”

ItsUSfirmsincludesemiconductorsfirm Wolfspeed,ApexFintechandHarness. Professionalservicestenantsinclude AberdeenFinancial,whilethereare alsotwo venturecapitalfirms,andtheBritishMedical Association.

Itofferssuitesofdifferentsizes,fortwoto 70people,thoughthereare nowasmanyin 90atoneUStenant.

“Harnesscametouse afewyearsago, wentoutontheirownandthencameback tous.”

Butitallfeltverydifferentinearly2020,as theCovid-19pandemicandlockdowns reared theirhead.

“Weopenedandcutpinkribbonandon TVthatnightBorisJohnsontoldpeoplenotto gototheoffice.

“Mybusinesspartner Ryanphonedmeand said‘ohdear’.But Isaid‘buildit,andtheywill come’.

“Ittookmaybe12monthsforustofill insteadofsixaswe’dinitiallythought.

“Hybridworkingbecamethenormand companieswantedtousetheofficeas atool tobringteamstogether.

“Alotofmemberssayitfeelslikea hotel. We’reoffering apersonaltouchanda genuineculture.” ■

PedestrianisationofpopularBelfast street takesfresh step forward

Thepedestrianisationof apopular Belfastcitycentrestreethastaken a freshstepforward HillStreet,whichishometosomeofthe city’smostpopularbarsandrestaurants,was pedestrianisedfor atrial periodin2020during theCovidpandemic,with aviewtomakingthe movepermanent.

Butplansweredelayedintheyearssinceand significantprogresshasyettohappen.

Earlierthisyearitwas revealedan “experimentalscheme”couldgetunderway soon,InfrastructureMinisterLizKimminssaid Andnow,thedepartmenthaswrittento BelfastCityCouncil’schiefexecutivetooutline detailsoftheproposal.

Itwouldseethestreetclosedofftotraffic andcyclistsbetweenthejunctionwithGordon Streetand WaringStreet,allowingloadingand unloadingbetween6amand12pm.

ItwouldalsoseeGordonStreetbeingturned into aone-waystreet.

“IamwritingtoadvisethattheDepartment proposetotakeforwardan‘Experimental Order’forthepedestrianisationofHillStreet,

Belfast,”thelettersays.

“Theprohibitionoftraffic,includingcyclists, willoperateonHillStreet,betweenitsjunction GordonStreetand WaringStreetandinclude CommercialCourtandExchangePlace. Exemptionswillallow‘loading/unloading’ betweenthehoursof6amand12pm.

“Inadditiontotheaboveprohibition,itis alsoproposedtointroduce aone-waytraffic systemalongGordonStreet,fromitsjunction withHillStreettoitsjunctionwithDunbar Streetinaneasterlydirection.”

Earlierthisyear,officialsfromtheDepartment forInfrastructure(DfI)saidtheywouldengage withstakeholdersinthe“comingweeks”in a processwhichaimsto“moveatpace”.

Itwas recently revealedthatthecostof pedestrianisingtheareawouldcost£5,000.

MsKimminshadpreviouslysaid “underfundingandausteritybytheBritish Government”hadcontributedtodelays,dueto staffingshortages.

Followingthelatestengagementwith stakeholders,shetoldtheAssemblythat a reviewofthenine representationsshowed

that“whilebusinesseswerecontentwiththe conceptofpedestrianisation,theysought longervehicularaccesstimesfordeliveries”.

Plansforpedestrianisationwere duefor consultationin2022 –butthatdidn’t happen.

CouncillorswerelatertoldinMarch 2023thattheDfIwouldbecarryingout a consultation“shortly”.However, thatalso didn’ttakeplace.

“Wehavetoensurethatweengagewith allthestakeholdersthatwillbeimpactedon, includingthebusinessesthatoperateinthat area,”shesaid.

“Toensurethatwegetitright,itisimportant thattheprocessconclude.As Isaid,itwill commenceinthenextfewweeks.Hopefully, withallbeingwell,unlessthereare any unforeseenissues,wewillbeabletomove forwardatpacewiththescheme.”

InApril2023,councillorsinBelfastweretold that“whilethepedestrianisationofHillStreet remainspartofourlonger-termagenda,we areunabletobegintheconsultationprocess duetoongoingissueswithstaffresourcesand exceptionallyhighworkloads” ■

COMM ERCI AL PROPERTY

Theriseofthe short-termlet

COMM ERCI AL PROP ERTY

Short-termletaccommodationisontherise,with platformsmakingiteasierforpeopletorentouttheir property.But,isitgoodforNorthernIrelandanddowe needtheextraroomfortourists,howdotheyoperate, isplanningpermissionrequired,shoulditbemore regulated,anddoweneed acaponnumbers. John Mulgrew takes acloserlook

Afewyearsback, Ispotteda significantriseinthenumber ofchangeofuseapplications goingintoourplanningsystemfor short-term residentiallets.Whileit’snot representativeofallthepropertiesin short-termuse,itrepresents asnapshotof theincrease.

Thenumberofself-cateredpremises registeredwith TourismNIhasrisenby54% since2019.

It’sanareawhichhasexpandedsignificantly, particularlyinthewakeofplatformssuch asAirbnbmakingtheprocesseasierforthe averagepotentialhost,aswellasmeeting demandforsomeofNorther nIreland’sbig tourismpulls,suchasthe recenthostingofThe OpenatRoyalPortrush.

Itis,however,somewhatof amixedpicture intermsofhowbusinessesareoperatinginthe

widermarket,whetherplanningpermission is required –somethingwhichvariesbetween councils –gettingthegreenlightfromthe relevantbodies,andbalancingtheneedto helpmeetourbedspaceheretodealwitha burgeoningtourismsectorwiththeimpactto analreadylimitedhousingstockhere.

Intermsofthoseseekingplanning permission, aroughlookattheplanning systemshowsmorethan90in2024alone,up fromjustover160intheprecedingfouryears.

However,manyothersoperatewithout specificchangeofuse,buthavethe required certificationfrom TourismNI.Muchofthe expansionishappeninginBelfast,butit’salso prevalentinpopulartouristareas,suchasthe northcoast.

Theissueforthose,certainlyoperatingin Belfast,isthatthecurrentplanning regulations essentiallypointtoonlypartoftheproperty

TheOpenatPortrushthisyearwas oneofthebiggesteventsNorthern Irelandhasheldandsawtensof thousandsoftouristsdescendhere

beingusedforshort-termlet,andthatone roomshould remainaspermanent,orlongtermhousing.

“[Manyoperators]don’tapplyforplanning permission,andtherefivepointstobe short-let,” aBelfast-basedshort-letproperty managertells UlsterBusiness.

“Mostofthosearefine,aroundthingslike having apropermanagementplaninplace. Butoneareatheyallfailonisthattheproperty must remainopenfor regularhousing.It doesn’tmakesense,asessentiallyeveryone whoisapplyingwouldfalldownonthat.”

Mostshort-termletsoperatewiththebasis ofhavingcertificationfrom TourismNI.

“IfyouareanAirbnb,forexample,you applyunderself-catering,”hesays.“Thepoint ofthatischeckingthepropertysuitablefor

guests.Theylookforthingslikecondition ofsaucepans,whetherithascurtains,isthe gardenlookingwell,oristhereenough room forsixpeopleanddiningchairs,forexample.”

Intermsofthosegoingthroughthe planningpermission route, arecentcasewas successfullyappealed,whileothershavebeen recommendedfor refusalforessentiallytaking housingstockawayfrom aparticulararea.

“Since2019,thenumberofself-catering premises registeredwith TourismNorthern Irelandhasgrownby54%,”JaniceGault, chiefexecutiveoftheNorther nIrelandHotels Federation,tells UlsterBusiness

“Allaccommodationprovidersoperating withinthesectorarerequiredtobecertified by TourismNorther nIrelandand,insome cases,mustalsoobtainplanningpermission.

However,thereisgrowingconcer naboutthe increasingnumberofuncertifiedproperties beinglistedon[some]onlineplatforms.”

Andit’sthatuncertifiedmarketwhich shesaysis“deeplyconcerning”forthose individualswhowhichhaveinvested significantlyintheirbusinesses.

“Therapidincreaseinshort-termletshas alsoraisedwidersocietalconcerns,”shesays. “Divertinghousingstockfromlong-term rentaltoshort-termuse reducesavailabilityfor residents,makingitmoredifficultforpeople tosecurehomes.This,inturn,canerodesocial infrastructure,deterworkersfrom relocating tothe region,andplaceadditionalpressureon localservices.

“ThischallengeisnotuniquetoNorthern Ireland.Aroundtheworld,destinationshave

actedto regulatetheexpansionofshort-term letting.Somehaveintroduced‘rentpressure zones’whereshort-term rentalsareeither bannedor restrictedto alimitednumberof days ayear.

“Forexample,Barcelonawillstopissuing newshort-term rentallicencesfromApril 2025,allowingexistingonestolapse –amove expectedtophaseoutthesectorentirelyby 2028.InParis,propertyownersmayonly rent outtheirentirehomefor amaximumof120 days ayear,although rentingoutindividual rooms remainsunrestricted.”

Andonenforcementofunregulated properties,shesays“enforcement remains aconsiderablechallengeduetothehigh volumeoflistingsandthelimitedinformation available,assomeplatformsdonot>

COMM ERCI AL PROP ERTY

disclosetheexactpropertylocationuntilafter booking”.

ClareGuinness,chiefexecutiveatBelfast Chamber,sayswhileshort-term residential leaseshelpboostourtourismsector,a“cap shouldbeplacedonhowmanysuchleasesare approved”.

“Wehave aseverehousingcrisisinBelfast thaturgentlyneedsaddressed,andtoomany short-term residentialleaseswillonlydeepen thatcrisisfurther –aswehaveseenina numberofotherUKandEuropeancities,”she says.

“Belfastcityhas adutyofcaretoitscitizens tothinkstrategicallyandmakethecorrect decisionsonthesematters.

“BelfastChamberhasengagedwitha numberofstakeholdersonthecity’shousing shortageandwillcontinuetoidentifylevers thatwillmakeBelfast abettercitytolive, work,study,visitandinvest.”

TourismNIsaysit recognisesthatthegrowth ofthetourismsectorin recentyears,plus lifestyleandotherfactors,have resultedina

“significantincreaseinthenumberofselfcateringpropertiescertifiedtoprovidevisitor accommodation”.

“Theself-cateringsectorisanimportantpart oftheaccommodationmixinNI,particularlyto meetpeaksindemand.

“Currentlegislationlimits TourismNI’srole toensuringthataccommodationmeetsa minimumstandardforvisitorsanddoesnot provideanypowerstocaporcontrolthe numbersofpropertiesofferingself-catering accommodationtovisitors.

“Werecognisetoothatthepoolofshorttermletsforvisitorsinteractswiththesupply ofotherpropertiesforshort-termlet,and otherpropertytypesfor rentandsale.”

Itsayswhereisa“needtounderstand anyimpactsonthehousingmarketand communitiesmorefully”.

“Itis acomplexareatodeliverchangein withpolicyandoperational responsibilities spanningseveralExecutivedepartments, councils,andotheragencies,”itsays.

“Lookingahead,itwillbeimportantthat

anypolicychangein relationtothe regulation ofvisitoraccommodationalignswithplanning, housingandotherassociatedpolicyareas.”

Fortheindustry,oneBelfast-basedshort-let propertymanagersaysthereremains aneed for alevelofshort-termlettingstohelpmeet ourgrowingtourismoffering.

Butatthesametime,hesayshe’s sympatheticaroundpotentialtheimpactto housingstockandis“100%infavourof regulation”.

“Ifyoulookatoccupancyrates,ifthatstock wasn’tavailable,dowetellthetouristsnot cometothecity?”hesays.

“Thesepropertiesareallownedbylocal peopleandthereare jobssupportedbythem, suchascleaningandmaintenance.

“IunderstandandI’msympatheticto thehousingstock.I’m100%infavourof regulation.Ifthere’sacertainconcentrationin onearea,thenlicencesaren’tissued.”

Hesays abetterapproachwouldbetogo down asimilar routeasthoseapplyingfora HMO(houseofmultipleoccupation). ■

MCGPropertyGroup: building homesandwealththroughproperty

InNorthernIreland’scompetitive propertysector,fewbrandsstandout liketheMCGPropertyGroup.

Foundedbyentrepreneur TanyaMcGeehan in2016(originallyasMCGInvestments),the firmhasgrownfrom afamily-ledportfolio into afull-servicepropertypowerhouse, distinguishedbyitsvision,valuesand commitmenttohelpingbothclientsand communitiesprosper

Fromtheoutset, Tanya’spassionforproperty wasdeeplypersonal,nurturedbyherlate parents(PatsyandJanette Duffy)and rootedin adeepfamilylegacy.Whatbegan asmanaging familyassetsandrenovatinghomeshasevolved underherleadershipinto agroupthatnow deliversacrossmultipledisciplines:property acquisitionandinvestment;construction andprojectmanagement; refurbishment andextensions; residentialdevelopment; andbespokeportfoliobuildingservicesfor investors.

Buildingforthefuture

AttheheartofMCGPropertyGroupis MCGConstruction:thedivisionthat handles everythingfrombasichome refurbishmentsto ambitiousextensions,offeringclientsquality builds,architecturalinput,interiordesign, andfullstatutorycompliance.Whetherit’s upgrading apropertytomodernstandards, transformingspaces,orextendingthefootprint of ahome,MCGConstructiondeliversend-toendprojectmanagementandcraftsmanship. Anothercorestrengthisthemanagement

ofrefurbishmentsandextensions.Formany clients,especiallythosebalancinginvestment withlifestyle,theMCGteamoffers a“onestopshop”wherecomplexityishandledquietly behindthescenes –securingplanningor buildingcontrolpermissions,hiringtheright contractorsensuringbothfinishanddesign quality.

Inthelocal residentialpropertymarket,the grouphastakenonprojectslargeandsmall fromapartmentblockstohousesofmultiple occupation(HMOs) —demonstratingboth scaleandlocalmarketinsight. Tanyahasguided thecompanytocompletescoresofbuy-to-let acquisitions,developmentschemesandjoint ventures,manyofwhichnowformpartof agrowingcompanyportfolio,withassetsin Belfast,Bangor,HolywoodandMidUlster

Portfoliobuilding:wealthand retirement planning

WhatsetsMCGapartisitscommitmentnot merelytopropertyasbricksandmortar,but propertyas atoolforcreatinglong-term wealth.Throughitsportfoliobuildingservices, Tanyaandherteamworkwithinvestors –both localandinternational –whowishtousebuy-

to-letpropertiestosecureincomein retirement orbuildequityovertime.Whetherclients wantpassiveincome,tax-efficientgrowth,or hands-offmanagement,MCGdesignstailored investmentstrategies.

MCGhashelpedmanyclients’buildhigh yieldingportfoliosinhigh-demandlocations inNorthernIrelandsothat rentalincomeand capitalgrowthgohandinhand.MCGhas helpedbuy-to-letinvestorsacquiremultiple properties,securestrong returns,managing everystagefromacquisitionthroughtenancy.

ForthoseinNorthernIrelandseekingmore thanjust abuilderoranagent –seeking a partnerwhounderstandshowtocombine design,development,investmentandstrategic thinking–MCGPropertyGroupoffersprecisely that.Under Tanya’senergeticleadership,the Groupcontinuestobuildnotjustproperties, butportfolios,securityandlong-termwealth forclientswhowanttothrivenowandin retirement. ■ ContactMCGon +44(0)2890730450,email tanya@mcgpropertygroup.co.uk orgotomcgpropertygroup.co.uk

Lackofmoneyfor road maintenance ‘leading to our crumblingnetwork’

GordonBest, theheadofindustrybodyMPANI speaksto JamesMcNaney aboutwhatheseesasthe underfundingofthelargestassettheNIpublicsector managesandwhyit’sputting500jobsatrisk

Thedirectorofanindustrybody believesthatNorther nIreland’sroad network“cannotbemaintained safely”withitscurrentbudgetallocation.

TheMineralProductsAssociationNorther n Ireland(MPANI)furthersaidthatwithout increasedfundingfromthe£68m currently assignedtoroadmaintenance,up to500jobs intheindustrycouldbe lost

In response,theDepartmentfor Infrastructure(DfI)saiditisfocusingonhighquality repairs,andwillmakethecasefor increasedfundinginthefuture.

MPANI representsmanyofthecompanies thatbothsupplythematerialsusedtomaintain the roadnetwork,aswellasthecontractors whoworkonthem.

GordonBest,the regionaldirectorofMPANI, saidthisyear’sfundingallocationfor road maintenancefromDfI“cameas ashock”.

“Weworkverycollaborativelywiththe departmenttomakesurewe’redelivering quality,assuredmaterialsandskilledworkers forthe roadsnetworkinNorther nIreland,to keepitin asafeandqualitycondition.

“TraditionallyinNorther nIreland,the maintenanceofourinfrastructure,whether thatbe roads,footways,waterandsewage infrastructure,hasalwayscome apoorthird to educationandhealth.Thehealthand educationbudgetstakeabout70%ofthe wholeblockgrant.”

MrBestbelievesthattheInfrastructure Ministerwasgiven agreatopportunitywith theraisedfiscalfloorfortheNIExecutive, andthefactthatDfIhas,“thelargestcapital budgetthatany[Executive]departmenthas everhad.”

TheDepartmentforInfrastructurewasgiven abudgetofover£900mtospendoncapital projects,withthemaintenanceofthe road networkincludedinthistrancheofmoney

“Theproblemisthewaythattheminister hasdecidedtoslicethecake,”MrBestsaid.

“Unfortunately,theassetmanagement officesarenowrunning apoorthirdtoNI WaterandTranslink.”

Hewassupportiveofmuchofthe workconductedbytheDepartmentfor Infrastructure,andbelievedthenew roads managementstrategywas apositive development.

“Weneedtogetbetteratmaintainingthe assetswehave.The roadnetworkisworth some£40bn.

“It’sthelargestassettheNorther nIreland publicsectormanages,andyet,we’retryingto maintainitwithanabsolutetrickleofmoney, nowherenearwhat’srequired.”

Againstthe£68massignedthisyeartodeal with roadmaintenance,MrBestbelieves a morerealisticfigureforcostsisprovidedbythe 2018Barton reportconductedforDfI.

Thispaperestimatedthat“thefigureof

£143mis arealisticestimateoftheannual requirementforstructuralmaintenance funding.”

Giventheinflationarypressuresof recent years,andgeneralcostincreases,MrBest believesthatitcouldnowcostaround£190m toeffectivelymaintainNorther nIreland’sroads.

“£68m:it’sthelowestfigureinyears.The roadscannotbemaintainedsafelywiththat amount.”

Thebiggestissuesarefoundonrural roads, withmoneyinvestedin recentyearshaving focusedonmajortrunk roads.

Whilethese roadsareinabettercondition, MrBestisconcernedtheytoowillbehurtby theknock-onimpactofpoorer-qualityrural roads,aswellas regularwear-and-tearfrom winterfrosts.

Hefeelstheproblemsonthenetworkarean accumulationofyearsofunderfunding,with “very reactive”spending.

“Insomecases,the roadisbeyond maintenance,some roadsneed reconstruction

rightdowntothefoundation.”

Giventhis,MrBestissupportiveofthe department’snew roadmaintenancestrategy, whichaimstopredictandprevent roadissues.

MrBestsaidMPANIhadarrivedatthefigure of500jobsatriskaftersurveyingitsmembers aboutthemoneyavailabletothemfromthe department.

“Unlessthere’s aninjectionofadditional funds,we’re goingtohavetotellskilled workersthattheirskillsarenolonger required.

“Howdoyougotoyoungpeople,andthe parentsofanapprentice,andtellthem,‘we’ve nomoney,we’venowork,we’regoingtohave to letyougo’.”

MrBestfurtherbelievesthattheinvestments necessaryforcompaniestodecarbonisewillbe jeopardisedbythe reduced roadmaintenance budget.

“There’salotofinvestmentgoingin, notjustinthe roadmaterialside,butinthe concreteandaggregateside,youreducethe carbonfootprint.Allthatwillstop,because

youneed aturnoverofwork.”

In astatement,theDepartmentfor Infrastructure said:“MinisterKimminshad a constructivemeetingwithMPANIinJuly

“Sheisfullyawareofhowlevelsoffunding for roadmaintenancehas adirectimpacton theirmembersandthewiderconstruction industryandunderstandstheconcernsthey haveraised.

“TheMinisterhasstrivedtoaddressthis whensettingthisyear’sbudgetandshe,and herdepartment,continuetoengagewiththe industry

“Thedepartmenthas,formanyyears, operatedwithin aconstrainedmaintenance budgetandhasthereforereliedonin-year fundingtodeliveritsservices.

“Thishasbecomeincreasinglydifficultwith theunprecedentedincreasesinenergyprices andinflationarypressures,whichhascontinued into2025.

“Thatsaid,theMinisterallocatedadditional fundingfor routinemaintenanceactivitiesto

Anindustrybody haswarnedwithout increasedfundingfor roadsmaintenanceupto 500jobscouldbelost

mitigatesomeoftheworstimpactsofhistoric underinvestment.

“Recognisingtheimportanceofthe road network,thedepartmenthasbeendeveloping anewapproachto roadmaintenance.

“Wewillfocusondeliveringhigher-quality repairsinsteadofspreading resourcestoo thinly,ensuring amorereliableandsafer road networkwhereweintervene.Itwillbedatadrivenandsupportedbysoundengineering judgmentandaddresstheproblemin a meaningfulandsustainablemanner

“Animportantaspectofthestrategywill alsobetomakethefinancialcaseforfuture investmentinour roadinfrastructure.

“Publicfinancesarelimited,andwehave alottodotomakeupforyearsofausterity andunderfundingbysuccessiveBritish governments,buttheMinisteriscommitted toensuringthatpeopleareattheheartof fundingdecisions,andthatwedoallthatwe cantobeefficientandeffectiveinthedelivery ofpublicservices.” ■

COMM ERCI AL PROP ERTY &CON ST RUCT ION

BelfastHarbourunveils £200m dock transformationplan

Freshplanscouldseethe£200m revampofClarendonEstateat BelfastHarbour.

It’sunderstoodtheharbour’svisionfor ClarendonWharfwillinvolveinvestmentof £100mto£200m.

Itdescribedtheprojectas“aonce-in-ageneration,multi-millionpoundtransformative development”whichwouldadd a“sustainable andvibrant”neighbourhoodfeaturingmore than10acresofpublic realm.

Justoneartist’simpressionofthe developmenthasbeen released,showingthe possiblefutureofunder-usedpublicareas behindCityQuays.

Thevisualimpactonthepresentappearance oftheareaisexpectedtobeonthescaleof TitanicQuarterwhenitwasfirstbuiltonthe othersideoftheRiverLagan.

Muchofthedevelopmentwilltakeplaceon carparksthatarecurrentlyusedbyworkers andvisitorstoClarendonEstate,with alidofor publicswimmingtobeaddedtoClarendon Dock.

Theaimistoconnectupolderpartsofthe estatewithitsnewerfeaturessuchastheCity Quaysdevelopment,andsocialhousingwhich hasbeenplannedforPilotStreet.

Phaseonewillinvolvetheconstruction of450homesforrentin amixofoneand two-bedroomapartments,withanaffordable elementandwheelchair-accessibleunits.

BelfastHarboursaidthevisionhasbeen detailedin aplanningapplicationwhichisto beconsideredbyBelfastCityCouncillaterthis year.

Aproposalofapplicationnoticehasbeen submittedtothecouncil,with acommunity consultationtotakeplaceoveratleast 12weeks,including apubliceventand consultationwebsite.

JoeO’Neill,chiefexecutiveofBelfast Harbour,said:“ClarendonWharf representsa once-in-a-generationopportunityto reimagine thisimportantpartofBelfast’swaterfront.

“Ourvisionistocreate avibrant,sustainable

citycentreneighbourhoodthatcombines newhomes,employmentspace,andleisure opportunitiesalongsideexceptionalpublic realmdevelopment.

“Thisprojectwillnotonlyhelpmeetthe city’scriticalhousingneeds,butalso reinforce BelfastHarbour’sroleas acatalystfor regeneration.”

Therewouldalsobe3,000sq mof“ground floorusage”including retail,leisure,and communityspaces,andanapart-hotel.

Kevin Ryan,directorofdevelopmentat BelfastHarbour,said:“ClarendonWharfhas beencarefullydesignedbyaninternationaland localteamofexpertswhohaveundertaken researchandengagementintosuccessful neighbourhoodstobalancethedelivery ofhigh-qualityhomeswiththesensitive treatmentofBelfastHarbour’srichheritage assets.

“Byenhancingconnectionstothecity centre,openingupnewgreenandblue spaces,andsupportingactivetravel,this schemewilldeliver awelcomingandinclusive

placeforeveryonewholivesin,worksin,and visitsBelfast.”

BelfastHarboursaidthepublic realmplans werea“definingfeature”andwouldincludea five-acrecentralsquareanddock,greenareas andnewpedestrianandcycle routeslinking ClarendonWharfwiththewidercityandthe MaritimeMile.

BelfastHarboursaid:“Thehistoricdry docks,describedasthejewelofthesite, willbesensitively restoredand reimagined protectingtheirheritageintothefuture,while ClarendonDockwillbe repurposedas aunique waterfrontlido,showcasingBelfast’sindustrial heritagewhileprovidingspaceforcultural andleisureactivities.Theproposalsalso includethe revitalisationoflistedbuildings, theenhancementofhistoricassets,andthe integrationofclimate-resilientdesignfeatures suchasraingardensandbiodiversity-focused landscaping.

“Together,thesewillcreate adistinctive neighbourhood rootedinitshistorywhile lookingfirmlytothefuture.” ■

Ascompaniesand developersmakethe shifttowardsnewand moderngrade Aoffice space,whathappensthe oldcommercialbuildings leftbehind? Pavel Barter examineshowthe industryisrepurposing oldstock

Thereisabeforeandafterforthe EwartBuildingonBedfordStreetin Belfast.

Constructedin1869itwasoncean expressionofthecity’sdominanceintheglobal linentrade,yetforalmost30yearsthelisted buildingwasderelictandcrumbling.That wasuntilCatalyst,thenon-profitscienceand technologyhub, reimaginedpartofbuilding inpartnershipwithDeloitte.TheEwarthas nowbeentransformedintohigh-specification grade Aofficeaccommodation,whichcounts Deloitteasitsprimarytenant.“Itis abuilding withpresence,”saysMervyn Watley,director ofpropertyandcommunityatCatalyst.“They don’tmakethemlikethisanymore.”

ThesamemightbesaidforThomasHouse onJamesStreetSouthinBelfast,which

hasturnedfrom a1960sbuilding“indire needof renovation,”accordingtoDonna Linehan,clientservicesdirectorofvenYou, servicedofficeprovider,intofivefloorsoffully furnished,first-classopenworkspace.

In recentyears aflurryofgrade Aoffice spacehasbeenbuiltaroundthecity.A market reportbyLambertSmithHampton in2024suggestedgrade Aofficespace accountedfor86%ofvolumethatyear.But asthedevelopmentpipelineslowsdown,the focuson renewingoldbuildingsandgradeB

spaceisbecomingaboutnecessityaswellas opportunity.

“Thisyear,theBelfastmarket’sbeenvery slow,”saysRonnieCrawford,managing directorofCalibroWorkspace,anofficedesign andbuildfirm.“There’sgoingtobe ashortage ofgoodspaceverysoon. Withinthenexttwo years,we’repotentiallygoingtohavelimited grade Aspaceinthecity,whichisgoingto have aknock-oneffectforlargertenants comingtotheendoftheirleaseswhoperhaps wanttoprogressintonewspace.”

Thiswillhave aknockonimpactonforeign directinvestmentintermsofAmerican companieshopingtoinvestinthecity,he believes.“Idon’t seethatwe’vegotanyother optionbutto repurposebuildingsandto comeupwithsomeschemes. We candothis fasterthanittakeswithgreenfieldsitesand constructingnewbuildings.”

DonnaLinehanacceptsthatsometimes“it iseasierforpeopletostartfromscratchand buildfromthegroundup.Butsomeofthese newbuildingsareeyesores. We havesomany beautifulbuildingshereinBelfastthatarelying empty.”

Calibro,whobroughtitsdesignandbuild expertisetotheEwartandFlaxHouse(a formerLinenMillonAdelaideStreet)have witnessedthesuccessful repurposingof buildingsacrossthecity.Varioussuccessstories include35DPonDonegallPlace,whichbegan lifeas abankandnowexistsas a30,147sqft highqualityofficebuildingoverfivestoreys.

The Weaving WorksonOrmeau Avenuewasa neglected redbricklinenwarehousefromthe 1800suntilitwasturnedinto amoder noffice spacewith acaféand restaurant.RiverHouse, inBelfast’s CathedralQuarter,was agradeB officespacethatbecamegradeAfollowinga two-year refurbishment.

Somebuildingsarebeingcompletely repurposed.TheformerUlster Tatlerbuilding onBelfast’sBoucherRoadisbeingturnedinto

thecity’sfirstdedicatedpadelclub(apopular racquetsport)following a£1.15minvestment.

TheScottishMutualBuildinginBedfordStreet isbeing redevelopedinto ahotelandthe Belfast Telegraphprinthallnowfunctionsas alivemusicvenue,nightclub,andsoon-tobecomeconferencesite.

Atitsmainsiteat TitanicQuarterCampus, Catalysthasbeen“convertingformeroffices, someofthem12to15yearsold,intowet labs[alaboratoryspacedesignedtotest chemicals,biologicalmatter,anddrugs],”says Mervyn Watley.“We havetaken2,500and 5000squarefootspaces,strippedthemright

backtotheemptyshellandmadetheminto laboratories.”

Onthesamesite, awhiskeydistillery(Titanic Distillers)hasbeenputintothePumpHouse, whichonceservedthedrydockwhereT itanic wasfittedout.McConnell’sIrishWhisky, meanwhile,found anewhomeatCrumlin RoadGaol.InMervyn’smind, reimagining thesespacesmakeslogicalsense.“Whether it’stheEwartorthePumpHouse,theiroriginal useshavegone.Thechallengeishowdoyou get anewpurposefor abuildingthatstillhas characterandvalue?Howdoyougiveit anew commercialuse?Otherwisetheywouldbe>

OF FICE EN VI RONM EN T&F IT-OUT

sittingasshrinesandmuseumstothepast.”

Theprocess,Mervyn reasons,istoundertake thedesignsympatheticallywhendealing withhistoricbuildings.“Inthedesignofthe Ewartwewantedto respectthehistoryofthe buildingandapplynewmoder nmaterialsto makeitcleartothepeoplewhooccupythe building,whatisold,whatisnew,andwhat hastransformedovertheyears.”

Thedesignersleftthe redbrickandceilings exposed,featuredtheoriginalbeamsandthe tallwindowswhichallowednaturallightto floodin.“We’renotcreatingprivateoffices. Peopleareworkinginopenplanbutwehave spaceswhere you’reabletogotowhenyou needprivacytodo Teamscalls,one-to-ones withyourstaff,orwhateveritis.”

Afunctionaltransformationoftheseold propertiesisalsonecessary.FortheEwart,the designersapplied:perforatedplasterboardand softfabricacousticpanelstocompensatefor thehardbrickandmetalandconcreteofthe structureofthebuilding.

Modernisationofheating,ventilation,and airconditioning(HVAC)isalsopartofthe

process,saysRonnieCrawford.“Electricaland datainfrastructurecanimprovetheflexibility of aspace,higherspeedconnectivityand integrationwithtech.”Functionalityincludes accessibility:washroomsanddisabilityaccess, forexample.

WhenitcametoThomasHouse,venYou were“empathetictotheoriginaltextures” oftheproperty,accordingtoDonna,while creatingoneofthehighestspecserviced officelocationsinthecitycentre.“Themarket haschangedsomuchoverthelast15years. Peopleoptingfortheservicemodelexpectto havehighspeedinternetandbreakoutareas. We putinanexecutiveloungeareaovereach ofthefivefloorswith aboardroomand asmall kitchenarea.”

Ofcourse,allthiscomesas acost.“There’s nodoubtaboutit,itismoreworkanditis moredifficult,”saysRonnie.Thebiggest challengeinitforlandlordsisprobably balancingthecostversusthevalue. We’ve seen a40%riseinmechanicalandelectrical costsin recentyears,whichisboundtohave adeterrenteffectonlandlordswantingto

invest.Howdoweas acityhelptoincentivise landlordstobringolderbuildingsupto spec?”

Withfewernewdevelopmentsontrack, andplanningcloggingupthesystemforthe nextfourtosixyears,firmsbelievethecity willneedtoaccelerateits retrofittingofold stock.

“Itiscriticalforthegovernment,orthe councilanddifferentparties,toworktogether andcomeupwith asupportscheme.Ifit’s goingtotakefiveyearsfor anewbuildingto bedesigned,planned,passedandbuilt,we aregoingtohavetodosomethingquicker intheshortertermtobeabletoprovide sufficientspaceofit,”Ronniesays.

Theadvantagesoftransformingold buildingsintograde Aofficespaceare evidentwhenthecharacterofanolder buildingliketheEwartis revivedthrough sensitivedesign.AndtheThomasHouse building reachedfulloccupancyofitsoffice spacesthisyearwithinsixmonthsofopening. “Itis alotofwork,”saysDonnaLinehan, “butit’ssoworthitinmyeyes.” ■

WhatdoGenZ reallywant at work?

Overthepastdecade,we’veseen afundamentalshift inhowpeoplethinkaboutworkandtheroleofthe workplaceintheirlives.Thischangehasnotbeen drivensolelybytechnology,hybridworkingmodels, oreventhepandemic,butby anewgenerationwith verydifferentexpectations,writes RonnieCrawford, managingdirector, Calibro Workspace

Generation Z– thosebornbetween 1997and2012 –are steppinginto theworkforceinlargenumbers andare expectedtomakeup aquarterof itgloballyby2030.Theirimpactisalready beingfelt.

GenZ’srelationshipwithworkisshaped bythedigitalworldtheygrewupin,their commitmenttoprogressivevalues,andtheir desiretofindmeaningandbalance. Unlike

generationsbeforethem,theyarenotjust askingwhat ajobpays –theywanttoknow howtheirworkalignswiththeirvalues,how theiremployerismaking adifference,andhow theworkplacesupportstheirwellbeing.

Asbusinessleaders,wecannotignore thisshift.Attractingand retainingtalenthas neverbeenmorecompetitive,andGen Zare influencingwhatthefutureworkplacemust looklike.

Breakingthestereotypes

Toooften,Gen Zare unfairlycharacterisedas entitledorunrealistic –oftenbeingportrayed asdifficulttomanage,withlow resilienceand heftydemands.In reality,theseclaimsoverlook thecontributionthisgenerationisalready making.Theybringwiththemfluencyin digitaltools,anaptitudefor researchanddata analysis, anaturalaffinityforcollaboration,and aforward-lookingperspectivethatis reshaping workplaceculture.

Contrarytothestereotypeofwantingto workfromtheirbedrooms, recent research showsmanyyoungprofessionalscravethe interaction,collaboration,andsenseof belongingtheofficeprovides. ABupasurvey revealedthat athirdofGen Zemployeesare considering returningtofull-timeoffice roles withinfiveyearsduetotheisolationofworking exclusivelyfromhome.

Thenarrativeisshifting.Theofficeisno longersomewhereemployeesareforcedto attend,but aspacethatsupportsconnection, innovation,andwellbeing.

What reallymotivatesGenZ?

Salary remains amotivator –especiallyin today’scost-of-livingclimate –butmoneyisnot theonlyfactor.Purposehasbecome adriving force.Deloitte’sGlobalGen ZandMillennial Surveyfoundthatnearly90%ofGen Z employeesbelievepurposeiscentraltojob satisfactionandwellbeing.

ForGenZ,purposemeansvisibilityof careerpaths,opportunitiesforgrowth,and confidencethatanemployer’sactionsalign withitsstatedvalues.Theyexpecttransparency aroundpayand recognitionforcontribution. Theywanttoknowtheirorganisationstands forsomethingbigger –whetherthat’s

sustainability,innovation,orcommunityimpact.

Crucially, theperksandtokenbenefitsthat onceattractedstaffare nolongerenough. Gymmembershipsorcycle-to-workschemes cannotcompensateforpoorcultureorlack ofprogression.Gen Zexpectmore– and businessesmustrisetothechallenge

DesigningtheofficeforGenZ

So,whatdoesthismeanfortheworkplace? AtCalibro,weareseeingclearpatternsin thefeaturesthat resonatemostwithyounger talent.

Spacesthatembodyvalues

Officedesignhasalwaysinfluencedbehaviour, butforGenZ itisalsoaboutauthenticity Theywanttoseecompanyvaluesembedded intothephysicalenvironment.Thatmight meancreatingcollaborativespacesthatreflect opennessandflexibility,sourcingsustainable materials,orintegratingdesignelementsthat promoteinclusivity

Designingtheworkplaceas adestination thatlivesandbreathesvaluesbuildstrust, strengthensculture,andmakestheoffice somewherepeoplewanttobe.

Wellbeingas apriority

Wellbeinghasmovedfrom a‘nicetohave’ to anon-negotiable.Gen Zwantworkplaces designedtosupportphysical,mental,and emotionalhealth.Thiscanmean retreatareas forquiet reflection,ergonomicfurniture to reducestrain,biophiliatoconnectstaff with nature,oracousticfeaturestoreducesensory overload.

Thesearen’tjusttrends;they are backedby measurableoutcomes.Workplacesthatactively supportwellbeingreduceabsenteeism,improve

retention,andfosterhigherengagement.As theworkforcebecomesmorediverse,including neurodivergentemployees,thoughtful workplacedesignismoreimportantthanever

Digital-firstinfrastructure

Gen Zare digitalnatives.Theyexpectseamless technologyintheworkplace –collaborative tools,high-qualityvideoconferencing,and platformsthatsupporthybridwaysofworking Therighttechnologydoesmorethan enableefficiency.Itdrivesinclusion,supports collaborationacrossgenerations,and ensuresthatphysicalandvirtualworkplaces complementeachother.Fromdigital whiteboardstoadaptablemeeting rooms, a digital-firstapproachisbecoming abaseline expectation.

Whatthismeansforbusinessleaders

Themessageisclear:Gen Zare notmotivated by salary alone.Theywantmeaningful work,alignmentwithvalues,opportunities forgrowth,andworkplacesthatfoster collaborationandwellbeing.Theoffice remains centraltodeliveringontheseexpectations –butitmustbedesignedwithintent.

Forcompaniescompetinginthewarfor talent,embracingtheseexpectationsisnot optional.Thosewhodesignworkplacesthat bringtogetherculture,design,andtechnology willcreateenvironmentsthatnotonlyattract Gen Zbutalsoenergisethewiderworkforce

Shapingthefutureworkplace

Everygenerationleavesitsmarkonthe workplace,butGenZ’sinfluencefeels different.Theyareenteringat atimeof enormouschange,whenhybridworking, digitaltransformation,andwellbeingareall onthecorporateagenda.Theirdesirefor purposeandconnection reflects abroader shiftinwhatweexpectfromworkitself Ifbusinessescanaligntheirworkplace withtheirculture,theywillnotonlymeet theneedsofthisgenerationbutunlock innovation,creativity,andloyaltythatbenefits everyone.Thefutureofworkwillnotbe definedbypoliciesorperksalone,butalso byworkplacesthatinspirepeopletodotheir bestwork.

Gen Zare showingusthewayforward.Itis uptous,asleaders,tolisten,adapt,andbuild workplacesthat reflectthefutureofwork. ■

Allstate NI reveals £16m investmentin workforceskills

AnneBeggs,InvestNI, StephenMcKeown, AllstateNI,and EconomyMinister CaoimheArchibald announcethenew investment

ITfirmAllstateNIisinvesting£16mto upskilland reskillitsworkforceinDerry andBelfastwiththesupportofthe DepartmentfortheEconomy.

Thedepartmentsaidtheinvestment positionsAllstateNIattheforefrontof itsparentcompany’smovetomodernise internationaltechnologyoperations.

EconomyMinisterDrCaoimheArchibald said:“With1,700employeesinBelfastand Derry,Allstateplays avital roleinthenorth’s techsector.

“Thisinvestmentinskillsstrengthensthe industry, supportslocaltalent,andempowers itsworkforcetoleadglobaldigitalinnovation.

“Lastyearwelaunched anewdigital skillsactionplan,whichwillhelpgrowour buoyantdigitalsector,andintur nprovidingan increasingnumberofnewandexcitinggood jobopportunities.”

Thecompany’s‘transformativegrowth’ agendaincludesimplementing“cuttingedge”softwaredevelopmentprocesses,agile workingmethods,AIandthedevelopmentof managementleadershipskills.

AllstateNIprovidesITservicestoAllstate,a majorinsurerintheUS.

StephenMcKeown,managingdirectorof AllstateNIsaid:“We’vealreadyinvested£6.5m instrengtheningthedigitalskillsofourstaff overthelasttwoyearswithInvestNI’ssupport.

“Thisunprecedentedinvestmenthasalready repaiduswiththeexpertiseneededtodrive digitalchange.

“We’recommitting afurther£9.5moverthe nextthreeyearstoensureourNorther nIreland workforcestaysattheforefrontofglobal technologyinnovation,equippedwiththe righttoolsandfuture-readyskillstocontinue leadinganddeliveringexceptionalcustomer experiences.”

AllstateNI’supskillingofferstrainingacross areaslikefull-stacksoftwaredevelopment, cybersecurity,cloudcomputing,artificial intelligence,anddataengineering.The companyisalsointroducingnewmanagement developmentprogrammes.

AnneBeggs,chiefcommercialofficerat InvestNI,said:“Theglobalinsuranceindustry isevolvingrapidly,andcompaniesmustadapt to remaincompetitive.

“Byinvestinginskills,technologyand leadershipdevelopment,AllstateNIpositions itselfas acentreofexcellencewithinthe

broaderAllstategroup.

“Thisbenefitsemployees, reinforces Allstate’scommitmenttoNorther nIrelandand strengthensour reputationas ahubfor fintech anddigitalinnovation.

“Ourskillssupportis akeydriverinhelping itachievethis.”

AllstateNI’sStephenMcKeown recentlysaid somechangeshavebeen“incrediblyhard”.

Thefirmhasseen300staffdepartinthelast fewyearsastheglobaloperationslimsdown considerably.

MrMcKeownwasspeakingatitsActivate eventatICCBelfast,lastmonth.

Around1,000stafffromhereandfurther afieldhadtheusualconferencefareof speeches,butalsowereabletoindulgeinVR headsetexperiences, arideon asmoothiebike, atasteofflavouredbubbles, achancetohave aselfieoftheirfaceturnedintochocolate,or tospend arelaxingmomentin asmallcinema space.

Speakers reflectedthiseclecticmixof activities,withcomedianShane Todd,Blue PeterpresenterandmagicianJoelMawhinney, and akeynoteaddressoncosmologyfrom ProfessorBrianCox. ■

Thethreestar experience

JohnMulgrew pays a visittoSimon Rogan’s hospitalityheartlandin CartmelintheLakeDistrict tomark abigoccasion, takinginbothhisthree Michelinstar L’Enclume, andone-starsister restaurant,Rogan& Co

That’sit–I’vedecidedwhereIwant toeatformy40thbirthday.

I’dplannedthistripinmyhead,years inadvanceofmyplummetingtoofficialmiddle age.

Itwasthesourcingandforaging,the intimateandisolatednature,andthe fastidiousnessofMagnusNilsson’scooking thatledmetohistwo-starFaviken,locatedin Jämtland,some350milesnorthofStockholm.

Andthencamethenews.Hewasshutting itdown,permanently,laterthatyear,sixyears before I’dgetthechancetojustifysuch ahefty visit.

So,howdoyoufillthatculinaryvoidto markfourdecadesonthispalebluedot?

Whilecertainlynotas remote,Cartmeltakes awhileto reach,especiallyifyou’recrossing theIrishSea.It’seithertheferryand alengthy drivedownthroughScotland,orinourcase, aflighttoManchesterandhiring acarforthe 90-oddmiletripofmostlymotorway.

ChefSimonRoganhasplayed asignificant roleinhelpingtur nthequaintandendearing villageintosomethingof abastionof hospitality.

AnditwashisthreeMichelin-starred L’Enclumewhichhelpedbuildbothhisown reputation,andbegintheculinaryexpansion ofthislittlevillageatthebottomoftheLake Districtmorethan20yearsago.

It’sanincreasingly fineandwarmdayduring ourtwo-dayvisit,asthelateafternoonsun emerges.Justmetresfrom L’EnclumeHouse, where we’restaying,isUnsworth’sYard Brewery.

Itframes asizeableoutdoorcourtyardarea, alongsideitsneighbourCartmelCheeses.

Thisis acombinationwhich agourmand should relish.Threelargepiecesofaged dairy,including asuperbOld Winchester,and somedarkrye-enrichedbread,provideample partnersfor acoupleofthebrewery’sperfectly balanced redalesoncask.

It’salsoadjacenttoitsvinousbrethren, Oscar’sCartmel –awinebarwith a22cover restaurant.

Thevillageitselfboasts aswatheofdecent pubsand afewplacestostay,withoutcausing anyraisedeyebrowsat VisaorMastercardover yourcreditlimit.

L’Enclume’slunchtastingmenuisvegetable andherb-focused,givenit’ssomethingofan explorationofthefreshnessofthespringand summerseason,withthemajority –ifnotall–grownbytheteam,closeby.

ACherryBelleradishtartbeginsthe sublimityofthesharpnessofpresentationwe’ll seethroughoutthecourseofthenexthour and ahalforso.

It’sfresh,light,crispandairy.ACorraLinn cheesepudding,somewherebetweensavoury Frenchtoastand abreadandbutterpudding, istheveryessenceofsavoury,permeatedby little flickersofacidandsweetness.

Acharred,slicedcourgetteisoneofthe mostexpressiveiterationsof avegetableI oftenfinddullanddifficulttoexalt,while anotherdishof avarietyofEnglishmushrooms bringsforthmoresoftumami,alongsidea saucewithmisoandyellowwine.

Theonlyanimalproteincomesintheguise of asliceofbeef,tenderandpleasinglyrare, withsuitablefreshnessfromthegreensand arichjuswhichisquicklymoppedupbythe accompanyingbeeffatcrumpet.

Afrozenstonebowlof Tunworthcheese, formedintoblobsakintolargesandgrainsor loosegravel.It’srich,yetclean,forgoingthe solidityandheftof atraditionalcheesecourse.

Asetcustardwithstrawberriesisanother chanceforsomefreshness,given aliftthanks

totheaccompanying flowersandherbs.

L’Enclume’sfinaleofclosersistoppedoff withitshomagetoCumbria’sownKendalMint Cake. Aplateofchilled,basalt-esquestones sitwith asubtlelayeroffrost.Onlytwoare edible,butarealmostentirelyindistinguishable fromthe realthinguntiltouchcomesintoplay.

The£65winepairingworkswell,with

foursmallpoursthroughoutthedurationof themeal. L’Enclume’ssummerlunchmenu isanopportunitytoeat,andeatwell,at arestaurantatthevanguardofhigh-end cookingintheNorth WestofEngland –the firstandonly restaurantintheUKoutside LondonandtheSouthEasttogainthree Michelinstars –forsignificantlylessthanthe fulltastingmenuatdinner.

AsforCartmelitself,it’sapicturepostcard, enthralling,cosyvillagewith awarmheartand plentyofplacestoeatandimbibe.

We alsodinedatSimonRogan’ssister, one-star,Rogan &Co,locatedrightbeside ourhomeyaccommodation.Flavoursarebold and robust,withanattentiontodetailanda similar,ifslightlymorerelaxed,aestheticto thatof L’Enclume.

Donotforgothe WoodruffOldFashioned–atruemasterclassofsimpleperfection.

Ifyou’restayingwithbedandbreakfast, thisisalsowhereyou’llbeserved.Itwasonly opentoguestsforbreakfastduringourvisit, with abeautifullybalancedcollectionofthings on aplate,including acinnamonspikedand butter-richlayeredpastry,crisponthefringes, andsoftwithin,showcasingflawlesstechnique andflavour. ■

‘Hospitality in Northern Irelandis inour blood… we needtokeep thesectoralive’

CathalGeoghegan,managingdirectorat HendersonFoodservice talksthe importanceofdecisiveactionfromtheExecutiveforthehospitalitysector, feeding thethousandsatthe153rdOpen,growthagainstheadwindsandputtingpeoplefirst

HendersonFoodservice,oneofthe island’sleadingsupplierstothe hospitalityindustry,hashadthe kindofyearthathasbeenboth aprivilege andtesting.

“Ithinkwecanallsafelysaythatour highlightofthisyearwassupplyingtothe catererofTheOpenatRoyalPortrush,”Cathal Geoghegansays.“Itwasboth ahugeprivilege tobepartof,butonethatwas atestofour logisticsandcapabilities.Ultimately,weroseto thechallengeandshowedhowourteamcan pulltogether,scaleupfor aworld-classevent whilestillchampioninglocalproducers,and sustainingthatqualitywearefamousfor.

“Notonlywere thefairwaysatRoyal Portrushfilledwithspectators,butourhotels, barsand restaurantswerefulltothebrim. Therewasn’tjustpressureontheplayersto perform,ourhospitalityindustryalsoneeded tostepuptotheplate.”

Andstepuptheydid,includinghotels and restaurantsontheNorthCoastand surroundingareasthatHendersonFoodservice isproudtohaveontheirbooksalongsideover 4,500customersacrosstheislandofIreland, whichbenefittedfromthegolftourismboost.

“Weare afoodiedestination.Hospitalityin Norther nIrelandisinourbloodandweare veryproudtohaveourproductscentralto anexperiencethathasbecome areasonfor peoplefromaroundtheworldtovisitusand enjoyourwelcome,ourfood,ourplacesand ourpeople.”

Despitethisoptimism,Cathalisdirect aboutthedifficultiesmanyoftheircustomers arefacingandbelievestheNorther nIreland Executivemustshowleadershipandact

decisivelytoensurethesectorthrives.

“Thesqueezeonbusinessesfeelsnever ending,”hesays.“Energycosts,wage pressures,nationalinsurancechangesandhigh VATratesmeanmarginsarewaferthin.Notto mentioninfrastructureproblemsthatcanhit thesectoratanygiventimeoftheyear,”he says, referencingDecember2024’sBelfastcity centre’scongestionproblemsandweekend closuresofmain roadsintothecity.

“Andthey’rejusttwoverylocalexamples. Lookatthelackofabilityforpeopletotravel efficientlythroughoutthisisland.Thereis somuchtoexplorebutmanybarriersinthe waywhichhugelyaffectsour restaurantsand destinations.

“Ifwewanttoseetourismthriveand

investmentcontinueintheindustry,thenour foundationsmustbeprotected.Reductionsin VAT, meaningful reformofbusinessratesand reliefaroundemployercontributionsarevital steps,which Ibelievecanbeachievedwitha collaborativeapproach.”

Collaborationis awayoflifeatHenderson Foodservice.Completely restructuringthe waythecompanydoesbusinessafterthehits thesectortookpost-lockdowns,theironline orderingplatformnowsitsattheheartofthe company’somnichannelcustomerengagement strategy.

“Sincelaunchingtheonlineplatform,sales havegrownby778%,”Cathalsays.“Our websitehasconsistentlyprovenitselfasthe singlelargestorderingchannelforthepast

twoyears”.

Butthere’snonegativeimpactonthe human resourcesideofthecoin.Thecompany hasexpandedtheirexecutiveandstrategic teams,bringingvaluableinsight,innovation andexpertisetosupportbothcustomersand supplierpartners.

“Webelievewehavefound a‘sweet spot’whenitcomestoself-serviceonline,as wellasensuringcustomersgetmeaningful humanengagement.Thatcouldbelearning aboutandtastingnewproductswith businessdevelopmentchef,GeoffBaird,or understandinghowwecanprovide abetter serviceforthemwithourcustomerservice team.Everyoneisonboardandpushingus forward.”

Asevidence,thecompanyhasjustbeen awardedwithPlatinumInvestorsinPeople accreditation,onlythe14thcompanyin Norther nIrelandtoachievesuch astatus,and thesecondwithintheGroup’sportfolioof businesses.

“Ourpeopleareourbackbone.Everyone has avital roletoplay,andwhatmakesour teamsucceedisthattheyunderstandour goals,ourstrategyandourmission.Our peopleare partofit,theywanttobepartofit andtheydrawourcustomersintothisframeof mind,too.”

Thatsuccesshasbeen recognisedata

K&GMcAtamneyWholesaleMeatsandKoffmann’saretwoexclusivesuppliersHendersonFoodserviceoffers customersacrossIreland

stringofawardsinthepast18months,most recentlywiththecompanywinningtheB2B eCommerce Websiteofthe Yearforthethird consecutiveyearattheIrisheCommerce AwardsinDublin.

HendersonFoodservicealsoclaimed Wholesalerofthe YearandtheCustomer Development AwardattheUK-wideFederation ofWholesaleDistributorsGoldMedal Awards inNovember2024,andhasbeennameda

DeloitteBestManagedCompanyforthe12th yearthisyear.ItismomentumCathalputs downtotheirdigitaltransformation;“Ina sectorwhereeveryhourcounts,efficiency matters.Ouronlineandofflinewayofworking makeslifeeasierforourcustomers.”

Thebusiness’sscale,innovationanddeep commitmenttolocalsourcingarethestructure forthecompany’sfutureambitions.Theyhave broughtinexclusivenewsuppliersincluding world-renownedchefPierreKoffmann’s selectionofchipsandpotatoproducts,and Ballymena’sK&GMcAtamneyWholesale Meats,which recentlyachievedBordBia approval,actingas apowerfultrustsignalin theRepublic’sfoodservicesector.

“Manychefs,caterersandprocurement teamsviewitas anon-negotiablestandard,” Cathalsays.“It’simportantforustoundertake theprocessandproudlywearthebadge.”

HendersonFoodservice’sroleisclear, accordingtoCathal.“Weare ensuringthatthe lifebloodoftheisland’shospitalityindustry,its supplychains, remain reliable,innovativeand rootedinlocalexcellence. We arecommitted togivingourcustomersconfidencethatwe candeliver aqualityproductthatwillbe reflectedintheirexcitingmenuofferings.

“Whenourcustomerssucceed,thelocal hospitalityindustrysucceeds,andthatwill keepNorther nIrelandonthefoodiemapfor yearstocome.” ■

StenaLine’sfirstnew hybrid ferryentersservice

StenaLine’sfirstnewhybridfreight ferryhasenteredserviceonthe freight-onlyBelfasttoHeysham routeaspartof amulti-millionpound investment.

The147-metreStenaFuturawilloperate12 sailingsperweek,addingadditionalfreight capacityonthe routeconnectinghauliersin Norther nIrelandwiththekeynorthofEngland roadfreightnetwork.

TheStenaFutureandsistershipStena Connecta,whichisnowbeingbuilt,will increasefreightcapacityby40%ontheBelfast toHeysham routefollowingrisingdemandfor services.

Stenasaiditwasmaking atotal investmentof£100minthetwovessels, whichare‘methanol-ready’andhavebuilt-in technologiestoutilisebothbatterypropulsion andshorepower,whenavailable.

Asistervesselinthesameseriesisbeing delivered‘rotorsail ready,’whichStena LinesaidfurtherdemonstratedStenaLine’s

commitmenttowindpropulsion.

PaulGrant, routedirectoratStenaLine, said:“ThearrivalofStenaFuturainBelfastisa significantmilestoneinour30-yearassociation withthecity.

“StenaFuturaandsistervesselStena Connecta representaninvestmentofover £100m,highlightingourcommitmenttoour IrishSeanetwork.

“Theshipswerecommissionedindirect responsetocustomerdemandforanincrease infreightcapacityonour routesandweare delightedtoseethefirstshipenterservice.

“Thesevessels represent acrucialstep inourbroadersustainabilityjourney.By integratingbatterypropulsionandshorepower capabilities,wearemakingsignificantstrides towardsourgoalof reducingCO2emissions by30%by2030, reinforcingStenaLine’s positionas aleaderinsustainableshipping.”

BelfastHarbourchiefexecutiveJoeO’Neill saiditwas“fantastic”towelcometheStena FuturatoBelfast.

“We wouldliketocongratulatePauland theteamatStenaLineonthissignificant milestoneandwelcometheircommitmentto sustainabilityinshipping.

“ThewholeteamatBelfastHarbouris lookingforwardtoseeingthisnewvessel enteringserviceononeofourmostimportant freight routes.

“StenaLineis avaluedstrategicpartner andweareconfidentthattherewillbefurther opportunityforgrowthinfreightvolumes onthealreadysuccessfulBelfast-Heysham routefollowingtheintroductionoftheStena Futura.”

StenaLineisthelargestferryoperatoron theIrishSea,withthebiggestfleetproviding upto238weeklysailings.

Routesincludecombinedpassengerand freightservicesfromBelfasttoCairnryanand Liverpool,DublintoHolyhead,Rosslareto Fishguard,aswellasthededicatedfreightonly routesfromBelfasttoHeyshamand Dublin. ■

Howdidyougetstartedinthe industry?

Truthfully,Ifellintofast-moving consumergoods(FMCG)and wholesalebychance,butitturned outtobeagreatfit. Iwanted afastpacedworkenvironmentwhereyou canactuallyseethedifferenceyou’re making,andworkinginwholesale hasgivenmethat.As Ihavebuiltup moreexperience,andamnowheadof peopleandculture,I’vecometo realise thatitisanindustry Ireallyenjoybeing partofandworkingforanEmployee Owned Trust(EOT)businesslikeS&W addsthatextrasenseofpurpose. You canseethateveryonefeelsinvestedin thesuccessofthecompanyandwants todotheirbest.

Typically,whoareyourclientsor customers?

OFTHE

Entrepreneur Month

Ourcustomersarevaried,we’reoneofthe largestindependentwholesalersontheisland ofIreland,workingwithover2,500customers. Thisspansfromindependent retailersand conveniencestorestolocalshops,suppliers, andendconsumers. We alsoseeourinternal teamsas‘customers’,becausesupporting themeffectivelyhelpsusdeliverforthe externalones,andwe’reveryactiveinthelocal communitytoo,whichisanimportantpartof whoweareasabusiness.

Doyouenjoywhatyoudo,andwhatin particular?

Ireallyenjoywhat Idoandthat’slargelydown tothepeople Iworkwith.Notwodaysare everthesame,andmy roleinvolves alotof problemsolvingandfindingopportunities. Ialsoenjoyseeingcolleaguesdowell, creatingthekindofculturewherepeoplefeel supported,andknowingthatwhenourteams arethriving,ourcustomersfeelthebenefit. BeinganEOTbusinessmakesthatevenmore rewarding,becauseeveryonehas astakein doingwelltogether.It’salso rewardingtosee

theimpactwecanmakeinthecommunity, notjustthroughtheproductswesupplybut throughthewaywesupportlocalcauses, schoolsandevents.

Whatisthemostdifficultpartofyourjob?

Ourbusinessenvironmentisconstantly changing,andthingsmoveatpaceallthe time,sothehardestpartisprobablythe needto regularly re-prioritise. Youthinkyou haveyourdayplanned,andthensomething newcomesin.Itcertainlykeepsmeonmy toes.Thereare alsolotsofworkforceand recruitmentchallenges.Findingandkeeping therighttalentisn’talwayseasyandthelabour marketis reallycompetitive.Thatsaid,being employeeowneddoesgiveusanadvantage whenitcomestoattractingnewtalentas peopleseethebenefitswecanoffer.Ashead ofpeopleandculture, Iwanttomakesure ourteamsfeelsupported,motivated,andare abletodotheirbestwork.Balancingthat withbringingnewcolleaguesonboardwhile

lookingafterthepeoplewe’vealreadygot,is thehardestpart,butalsothepart Icareabout most.

Whatarethechallengesfacingyoursector andtheeconomyingeneral?

Thereare quite afewattheminute.Rising costsandthecost-of-livingcrisismean shoppersarechangingtheirhabits,more peoplearefocusedonessentialsand discounters.Thatputspressureonretailers, whoarealsodealingwithhigheroperating costslikeNationalInsuranceandNational Minimum Wageincreases,which reallyhitthe conveniencesector.Recruitmentandsupply chainshortagescontinuetobetough,and inflationisstill abigfactor.W ithourmoveto anewpurpose-builtwarehouse,we’llhave enhancedcapacitythat’salsogoingtohelp uswithsomeofthesechallenges.It’sabig undertakingbutinanEOTbusiness,everyone isfullyinvestedinmakingthathappensowe arewellontrackfordelivery. ■

Historic Northern Irelandestate building new padelcourts

OneofNorther nIreland’stophistoricestatesandgolfclubs isplanningtobuildtwonewpadelcourts.

GalgormCastleisdevelopingthecourtsamid aboomin demandfortheever-popularracketsport.

“We’reexcitedtoannouncetheanticipatedopeningofourbrandnewpadelcourtsatGalgormCastle,”itsaid.

Itsaysthe“latestadditiontoour[racket]sportsoffering…thesetwo courtsoffer adynamicnewwaytoenjoyoneoftheworld’sfastestgrowingsports”.

“Padelisconsidered ahybridoftennisandsquashandistypically enjoyedindoubles,onanenclosedcourt.

“Whetheryou’reaseasonedplayerornewtothegame,ourcourts providetheperfectsettingforfriendlymatches,socialevents,or competitiveplay.

“Witheasybookingoptionsand aconvenientlocationintheheart ofourhistoricestate,GalgormCastleisnowyourgo-todestinationfor padelinNorther nIreland.”

ColinJohnston,managingdirector,GalgormCollection,said:“We’re delightedtobringthisdynamicandfast-growingsporttoGalgorm Castle.

“Thenewcourtscomplementourexistingsportingfacilitiesandform partofourongoinginvestmentincreatingpremium,inclusiveleisure experiencesforbothlocalsandvisitorstoenjoy.”

Theplanswouldseethecourtsbeingdevelopedonthegroundsof GalgormCastleGolfClub,locatedoutsideBallymena.

DesignedandconstructedbyRocklyn,thepadelcourtswillbethe firstinBallymena.ThecourtsformthelatestadditiontotheGalgorm Castleestate,whichalreadyfeaturesan18-holechampionshipgolf course,pitchandputtcourse,golfacademyand Toptracerdrivingrange. It’sthelatestcompanytoinvestinthegrowingsportofpadel.

Padelis aracketsportplayedon asmall,enclosedcourtthatlooks similarto acut-downtenniscourt.

Severalnewpadelcourtshavealreadyopenedhereinthelastyear, withfirmssubmittingplansfornewlocations.

Elsewhere, alifestylemagazinecouldbeturnedinto amajornew padelclubinBelfastaspartof a£1.5minvestment.

Feat4isplanningits firstpadelclubinNorther nIreland,andsaysit hastheintention“toexpandtootherlocations”here.

It’seyeingupthesiteoftheformerUlster Tatlerheadquartersonthe BoucherRoadforits firstmajorclub.TheUlster Tatlerhassincemoved elsewheretonewoffices.

Theplanscouldseethecurrentofficebuildingrazedtomakewayfor afacility,whichwillinclude fivecourts, agym,proshop,andcafé.

“Thisapplicationisbroughtforwardtooffer anewleisure opportunitytoBoucherRoadon asitewhichwasformerlyoccupiedby Ulster Tatlerformorethan40years,”planssay.

“Thedemolitionoftheexistingofficebuildingandtheerectionof apurposebuiltpadelfacilitywhichcomprises[five]padelcourtsand ancillaryusestoinclude acafé, reception,proshop,changingfacilities and recoverystudio/gym.” ■

Nosuccesswithout asuccessor

PavelBarter looks athowfirmshandle generationaltransition in ahealthywayand whyit’s soimportant tothesuccessofa businessinthefuture

Thereisamytharoundfamily businesses:thefirstgeneration starts,thesecondonebuildsit,and thethirdonescrewsitup.

Thankfullyfor LynasFoodservicethemyth didnotprovetobe reality.NextyearAndrew Lynas,groupmanagingdirectorat Lynas, celebrates75yearsofbusiness:from asimple fishshopinBrookStreetinColeraineto agiant ofthefoodserviceindustryhere.“It’sbeen ahugetransitionacrossthreegenerations,” hesays.What’sthesecret?“Somewouldsay blindluck. We mightsayGod’sprovidence.The answerisprobablysomewhereinbetween.”

DatavariesbutUlsterUniversity reckon between68%to75%ofallprivatesector enterprisesinNorther nIrelandarefamily owned,equatingtoaround328,000firms. The reasonforthepopularityoffamily businesseshereisattributedtosizeablemakeupoftraditionalindustries –engineering, manufacturing,agriculture,etc –thattendto behotbedsoffamilyactivity.Some350,000 to400,000privatesectorjobsareprovided throughthefamilybusinesssector,according toHMCharteredAccountantsinBelfast.

HMandUlsterUniversityjoinforcesagain nextmonthforthe10thanniversaryofthe Norther nIrelandFamilyBusinessForum,which showcasesthevalueoffamilybusinessesand includesspeakerssuchasChristianMajgaard,a formerLegoexecutive.Familybusinesseshave alotgoingforthem.“Theycanmakelong termdecisions,”saysDarrenMcDowell,senior

partneratHM.“They’renotnecessarilydriven by ashorttermearningstargets. Yougettrust andloyaltyandthatcomesthroughinsomany goodwaysforconsumersandteamsandthe economyas awhole.”

Familyfirmsarebetterplacedtoweather timesofcrisisandtheyencapsulatethe definitionofsustainability.“Ifsustainability meansleavingtheworldin abetterplace forthenextgeneration,”saysDrIanSmyth, manageroftheCentreforSustainableFamily EnterpriseattheUlsterUniversityBusiness School.“Familyfirmscanbethebestvehicle forthat.”

Andyetthereisahistoricallylowsurvival ratetogenerationalbusinesses.“Thedrop-off

ratecanbesteep,”Iansays.“Successionis inherentlydifficultbecauseifyoudon’thave asuccessorwithA,thewillingness,orB,the capabilitytotakeover,thenyou’reinatricky spot.TheboardroomattheSundaydinner tablecanhavepositivesandnegatives.”

The Lynasfamilybusinesswasgivena newleaseoflifewhenAndrew’sgrandfather Bobbiepassedhisfishshopbusinessto Andrew’sdad,thelateNorman Lynas.“When Dadwas18,hedidn’twanttogointothe fishshop.Butmygrandfather,Bobbie,had twoheartattackswithinthreeyearsandsohe hadtomakethetransition.Dadmovedfrom freshfishintofrozenfood.”WhenAndrew wasgrowingup, LynasFrozenFoods(asitwas

knownthen)waspartofhisheritage.The namewasonthetruckandthebusinesswas discussedaroundthefamilydinnertable.“All threeofus[siblings]didjobsinthewarehouse orstores.Itwaspartofwhowewere.”Some studiedshowthatearlyexposuretothe businesscanassistthesuccessionprocess. Communicationiscrucialelementofa successfulsuccession,Andrewsays.

He recallsattendingaseriesoftalksand workshopsaboutfamilybusinessesrunby UlsterUniversityinthemid-1990swhenhe was16.“Thatwasthefirstmomentwetalked honestlyaboutwhatwhetheranyonegoingto succeedDad.Hesaid,‘Thisis averydifferent placethanwhen ItookoverfromBobbie.I

wantoneofyoutocomein,butonlyifyou wantto’.”

Thereare examplesofsuccessful generationaltransitionsinwhichchildrenleave schoolandgostraightintothebusiness.In othercases,newgenerationsmightdotheir ownthingfor afewyears,perhapswithno intentionofenteringthefamilybusiness,only tojointhefirmyearslater.Andrew’sstudied lawandaccountancyatuniversity.“Irealised Ididn’twanttobe alawyeroranaccountant. IsaidtoDad,‘Well,let’sjustgivethis ago’.” Heenteredthefamilybusinessat23in2004. “Willingnessonbothsides[isvital].Mydad hadtowanttopassonthebusiness. Ihadto wanttostepup.Dadsaidtopeople,‘Iwant

Andrewtosucceedme’. Ialsowantedto. Iwas ambitious. Iwashungry,probablynaïve,but Iwantedtotakeover.Dadhadsetincredible foundations.”WhenAndrewwas27,Norman handedhimthe reinsofmanagingdirector. DarrenMcDowellsaysgenerational transitioncanbehandledin ahealthyway: “Ifyougetgoodprofessionaladvicefrom alegalandfinanceaccountingteam,it’s somethingthatcanbemanagedandmanaged well.”Butsomesectorsstrugglemorethan others.ResearchpublishedbytheUlster Farmers’Union(UFU)andthe YoungFarmers’ ClubsofUlster(YFCU)inearly2025found that48%offarmershaveyettoidentifya successorfortheirfarms.The research>

attributedcommunicationgapsanddelayed decisionmakingtotheproblem,butthe implementationofonerousinheritancetaxesis nothelpingmatters.

“Now[asuccessor]hasnotonlythe responsibilityofthegeneralday-to-day managementof abusinessforyearsafter thefounderpassesaway,butthey’vealso gottofindaninheritancetaxbilloutofthat business,”Darrensays.“Familiesoftenthrow theirheartsandsoulsintotheirbusinessesso theymaynothavelotsofcashorliquidassets tothrowataninheritancetaxbill.[Thenew inheritancetaxrules]havebeenverydamaging totheeconomylongterm. We’regoingto feelitinthenextfivetotenyearsaround investmentandfutureplanningforthose businesses.”

Thisisunfortunatebecausenewgenerations can reinvigorate abusiness.Craigavon-based LongMeadowCider,forexample,began

lifethreegenerationsagoasapplegrowers andsuppliers.Nowtheyareleadersincider production.WhenAndrew Lynassucceeded oneofhismajorinnovationswastoautomate thecompany’sprocesses.

Thereisnoonesizefitsallwhenpassingon thefamilybusiness.Thereare differenttypesof succession. Anewgenerationmightnothave thecapabilitytolead afirmandmightfinda roleinmarketingorsaleswhileanoutsider chiefexecutivejoinstheposse.Orthefamily mightdecidetosellthebusinesson –which inNorther nIrelandoftenmeans asaleto anotherfamilybusinessalso rootedinthe localcommunity.Anotheroptionisemployee ownership,whichDarrenMcDowelldescribes as a“goodculturalfitfor afamilybusiness whomightwanttopassonthebusinessif thereisn’tanewgenerationcomingthrough whoareinterested.Therehaven’tbeen ahuge numberofdealsinNorther nIreland,butthe

establishmentofEmployeeOwnershipIreland isprobablygoingtodrivemore activityhere.”

If afamilyfirmcanadvancebeyonditsthird generation,statisticssuggest,thenchances areitwillproceedtothefourth,thefifth,even asixthgeneration.Andrew Lynashasthree childrenaged11,nineandfive.“Mygreat hopeanddesireisthatoneofthemwould takeitover.Butitwillbe10,15yearsbefore I’llknowifanyofthemhavetheappetite. ButI’dlovetoseethelegacycontinue”.He isgratefulforthesupportofhisbrothers whoareminorityshareholdersinthecountry. They’veverymuchsaid,‘Thisisyourbusiness andyourbusinesstogrowforthenext generation…whateverthatlookslike’.”

Sosuccessionofthefamilybusinessdoes nothavetobelikeanHBOdrama?“Definitely not,”saysDrIanSmyth.“Wheneverfamily businessesgetitrightit’snot adrama,it’sjust alovelystory.” ■

PaulMillar,chiefexecutiveofWhiterock,GaryMcCausland, chiefexecutiveofHubflow,RhonaBarbour,directorof Whiterock,DeclanMellan,chiefoperatingofficerofHubflow andChris Trotter, investmentdirectoratWhiterock

Flexibleofce firmHubflow

secures£3.5m Whiterockfunding

Aflexibleoffi ce bu sine ss ha slan de d a£ 3. 5m inve st me nt to expand it s reac hinC entral London

Hubflow will us ethe fundingfrom Whiterocktoacceleratethe roll -out of it s te ch -drivenbusines sworkspaces.

Thefirm says thec apit al will be deployed to accelerate it sreach anddevelop it s“unique blendofpremium design,technolog ydriven solutions, andcommunity-focus ed environments to more entrepreneur s, SM Es, andcorporatesinthehear tofthe capital”

“T hisinves tmentfromW hitero ck is ahuge vote of confidenceinthe Hubflow vision,” Gary Mc Causland,chief executiveofHubflow, said

“Weare building more than of fices –we’re creating hubs whereideas,success,and moneyflow.Central London is theheartbeat

of global business,and with Whiterock’s backing, we’rep oisedtobring something trulyspe cial to themarketfor ourclients and landlord partners.”

Hubflow ’s strategy fo cusesonlandmark buildingsb esid emajor transpor thubs, ensuring accessibility andlong-term valuefor both occupier sand prop er ty ow ners

Whiterock’sGrowthCapit al Fund makes investment sofb et we en £1mand £5mfor minority shareholdingsingrowthand sc aling companies. It invest sinbusines sesw iths trong management teamsand ademonstratedand proven business mo del, ac ting as as trategic partnertohelpthemachieve theirhigh grow th ambitions.

Theinves tmentinHubflowreflec ts strong confidenceinthe resilience andgrowthof theflexible work spaces ec tor, particularly in

London wheredemandfor premium, welllo catedspace continuestos oar.

“Web elieve Hubflow hasthe vision, lead er ship,and momentum to be come one of themos td ynamic work spacebrands in theU K,”PaulMillar,chief executiveof Whiterock, said.“Ourinves tmentprovidesthe foundation forthe next st ageofits journey –scaling rapidlyacros sCentral London while maintainingits fo cusonquality,community, andinnovation.”

Hubflowalread yoperatesacros sLondon andBelfast,w ithnew flagshipsites launching in theCit yofLondon, Midtow nand West End in 2025 -26. This fundinground repres ents the fir st phas eofaw id er grow th strategy that will se eHubflowexpandintofur ther prime market sand solidify it sp ositionasaleaderin thefutureofwork. ■

PicturedattheTop100launchareEoinBrannigan,editorinchief,BelfastTelegraphand SundayLife,JohnMulgrew,editor,UlsterBusiness,ClaireBrowne,partner,KPMG,Paul Muldoon,Mediahuis,andMargaretCanning,Belfast Telegraphbusinesseditor

Top100 launch: business leaders gather forsummer editionofcialunveiling

SomeofNorthernIreland’stopcompanychiefshavegathered fortheofficiallaunch ofthe UlsterBusiness Top100.

The UlsterBusiness Top100NorthernIrelandCompanies2025, inassociationwithKPMG,chartsthesuccessstoriesofourlargestfirms BusinessleadersmetatCustomHouseinBelfastcity centreforthe officiallaunchofthesummereditionofthemagazine.

Editorof UlsterBusiness JohnMulgrewsaid:“Thisyear’slistshows strongperformancesfrommanyofourleadingfirms,andinparticular, indicatesimprovingmarginsinsomecases, resultinginmoresubstantial pre-taxprofits,whilesalesareessentiallyflat.

“ThehubspaceatCustomHousewas asuperbbackdroptoofficially unveilthisyear’s edition,aswellas achancetospeaktomanyofthose makingthisyear’slist,andthoseinvolvedwiththe Top100magazine.”

Pilgrim’sEurope,thepoultrygiantthatformerlytradedasMoyPark, hastoppedthelistthisyear

Someofthenewcomerstothisyear’slistincludeMCMUHoldingsLtd, NelipakHealthcare PackagingLtd,andHuhtamakiFoodserviceDeltaLtd

KPMGpartner ClaireBrowne addressesguestsat theTop100launch

Overall,salesamongthetop100 remainedalmostflat,comparing resultsyear-on-year –sittingat atotalof£35.6bn,whilepre-taxprofits roseto£1.86bn –up26.1%from£1.47bn.

Riojaand Ribera delDuero: avinous andculinary journeytoSpain

TheRiojaandRiberadelDueroregionsofnorthern Spainproduce ahostofthenation’sbiggestand boldestreds,alongwithdrywhiteswithfresh minerality,soldacrossoursupermarketsandspecialist retailers. JohnMulgrew spent afewdaysalongside LidlIrelandtouringsomeofthewineriesproducing thevinothatmakesitontoourshelves,with alittle culinaryexplorationalongtheway

Astheswathesof jadevineyards, picturesquevillagesand mountainouslandscapespassus byintheeveningsun,thegrand,avantgardepurplewavesofarguablyRioja’s moststunningandfamoushotelcomeinto focus.

TheFrankGehry-designedMarquesdeRiscal isunlikeanyother –abastionofbothwineand architectureintheBasqueCounty Anditwillserveas amorethanimpressive baseofoperationsforthenextcouple ofdays,

alongsideLidlIreland,aswevisitsomeofthe region’swineriesandculinaryplacesofinterest Beforethenextday’sforay,TheMarqués deRiscalGastronomicRestaurantiswhere wedine.Thisis aMichelin-starredspotwhich showcasestechnique.

There’stheuseofspherification,pioneered byFerranAdrià –andsomeboldflavours, including asquidtartare,andprawncarpaccio. MarquesdeRiscal’sownwineisalsoworth spendingyourtimeexploring.TheGrand Reservaisdeep,rich,oakyandfunky,150

AniversarioGranReservaisanequallydelicious andcomplexdrop.

BodegasCampoamenoiswhereLidl’sCepa LebrelrangeofRiojawinesareproduced –someoftheleading redsmakingitontothe shelvesofstoresacrossIrelandandbeyond.

Thewineryuses amixofFrenchand Americanoak,andproducesaroundthree

MuseodelasIlusionesat MarquesdeCarrion

Lidl’sMasterofWine,RichardBampfield, speakstoJohnMulgrewata tastingofsomeof Lidl’swinesproducedatBodegasCampoameno

millionbottles ayearforLidl.

TheCrianza,theyoungestwine,agedfor twoyearsandoneinbarrel,isallfreshfruit, tannic,andwithalittlebitoffruitcake

TheReservabringsforththatnextlevel ofdepthandcharacter–thebarrelmore pronounced,withaddedrichnessand alittle acid,while a5 OrosCrianza,isfruit-forward

withsomedarkberries.

Thewineryusessomefreshoak,butmost fallsbetweenfourandsixyears –withbarrels sittinginahumidity-controlledenvironment around17C.

Walkingintooneoftheagingwarehouses, you’rehitwith aheavy,whackofwoodand barrels

AtastingofsomeofLidl’swinesproducedat BodegasCampoameno

Partofwhat’simpressivehereisthepriceon theshelf.Mostofthesewinesarecomingin underthetennermark,theCrianzacloserto thesixquidpricepoint.

Helpingtolendhisexpertiseinboth regional knowledge,andconsiderablepalate,isLidl’s Masterof Wine,RichardBampfield.

Thiswineryitselfisalsoanoperationwhich hasconsiderablydiversified,andproducesits ownoliveoil.

Lunchisservedfamily-style.Thisis aperfect exampleofthestrengthofingredients. Tomatoesareburstingwithflavour,withjust alittlesalt,while roasted redpeppersare intenselysweetandsavoury.Aplatteroflittle lambchopsisall renderedfat,crisp,andwith gameyearthiness.

ThenextstepisMarquesdeCarrion, >

FO

which,amongothers,producesLidl’s popular AntanoRiojaCrianza.Thisis adifferentbeast tothepreviousproducer, primarilyduetoits size.It’s thelargestwineryinEuropeandthe fourthlargest, globally, workingwithsome 40,000farmers.

Aftertouringtheimpressive estate– which includedcraningourneckstotakeinthescale ofhuge500,000litrefermenters –atastingis nextup.

TheAntano–whichis availableatLidl –isall fresh,darkberries, alittletannic,with atouch ofacid.TheMarquesdeCarrionReservais noticeablybiggerandbolder,withnoticeable barreland alittlebarnyardfunk,whilethe BodegaLaErmitabringsforthdarkberriesand alittledarkchocolate.

Theeveningis roundedoffinthehomey surroundingsofMayordeMigueloa –a restaurantwhichalsooperates asmallin-house winery. Somedecentlocalwineisjoinedby theheftofsaltyandsupremelysavourycured ham,chorizoandpotatostew,cleanandwellseasonedtunasteakswith redpeppers,and a perfectlymediumrare filletofbeef

Next,it’sajourneytotheneighbouring RiberadelDueroregion –anotherofthe north’sleadingwine regions,producinga host ofhefty reds,amongothers.

ParadordeLerma,inthetownofLerman, sortsouttheneedforsomeculture,history, and awhackofcaffeine.It’sagrand,17th

centurybuildingwhichnowoperatesas a hotel

ItwasdesignedbyFranciscodeMoraunder theinstructionofthefirstDukeofLerma –who waspaintedonhorsebackbythegreatFlemish artistRubens.

ThejourneytowardsRiberadelDuerotakes uspast ahostofimpressivescenery.Attimes we’resome850mabovesealevel,sothereare alreadyfewermountainsorelevationswhen comparedtoRioja.

We alsopassbythecityofBurgos,andclose bytothelocationandfilmsetforthecemetery sceneintheiconic WesternTheGood,theBad, andtheUgly

Intermsofwine, Tempranillo remainsthe mostpopulargrape,howeverproducerscan alsousevarietiessuchasMalbecandGarnacha There’salso awelcomepitstopatArandade DuerobeforeweheadonwardstowardsPagos DelRay

TheChurchofSantaMaríalaRealstands outinthemiddleofthecity.Itbuiltonthe foundationsofanearlierRomanesquechurch, however, onlythetower remainsfromthe originalstructure.

It’sthentimetoexploreoneofthecity’s undergroundformerwinecellars –now usedprimarilyforeventsandtheirhistorical significance.Deepunderground,it’sa more temperate,natural,coolerclimate –perfectfor winestoragegenerationsago –and awelcome

MarquesdeRiscalinRioja

respitefromthebakingheatoutside,whichat onepointduringourvisitapproachesthe40C mark.

Butbeforethenismuch-neededsustenance atEl Ventorro. Alocalbloodsausageisall thingsiron-richandsavoury,whileribsarecrisp andheavily-seasoned.But awhole roasted lamb –cookedin awood-firedoven –isthe staroftheshow,and aperfectmixtureoflean, fat,andcrispness.

PagosDelRayispartoftheBodegaFelix Solisgroup.It’sapretty,modern,striking building,with atouchofBrutalismthrownin.

FelixSolisproducessomeofLidl’smost popularandhighest-ratedSpanish redwines, includingitsHachonRiberadelDueroReserva TheCrianzawinehas alittlebarreland funk,somedarkfruit,tannins,and atouchof acetone,whiletheReservahasmoredepthand balance.

Hachon Verdejobringsforwardzingand zest,iswell-rounded atouchbutteryonthe finish.

Roundingthingsofffortheeveningis Castilla TermalMonasteriode Valbuena –a stunninglybeautifulhotelvenueboastingsome 900yearsofhistory

SomeofLidl’swinessitcomfortably alongside avariedmenu,includedshrimp withcrispyporkandkimchimayonnaise, a saladofmarinatedmackerel,andIberianpork tenderloin. ■

JohnMulgrewwas aguestofLidlIrelandduring hisvisittoSpain

Oneinfive people ‘seelocal branchclose within threeyears’

Mor et hanafift hofcon sumers here sawt he ir lo calbankb ranc h closewit hint hr ee year s, a Stormont co mmit te er ep or thas said

TheFinance Commit te es aidthatthe numb er of cash access points in theregion is lowerthanWales andS cotland, andhalf of pe ople living in arural lo cation in most areasare more than onemileawayfromfre e access-to- cash services

Theeport re commendedthatthe Executive should examinealternative measures of howavailable public fundscould be us ed to suppor tloc al bankingand financial services provision.

Commit te emembers ex pres sedconcerns overtheimpac tthatthe changing banking landsc ap eishavingonindividuals and business es in termsofacces stoc ashand ad vice

Thecommittee launched it sinquiry into thebanking andfinancials er viceslandscape follow inganumberofloc al bank branch closures since2020, as well as thearrival of bankinghubs.

“M embers areals oconcernedthatthere is less comp etitioninthe bankingand financial

s er vicess ec tors here,c ausing theoffering theindividuals andbusines sestobeles s ad vant ageous than otherpar ts of theU K,” therep or ts aid.

Research commis sioned by thecommittee showed that in ananalysis of bank closures from 2020 to 2023,21% of consumer shad se entheirloc al bank clos e.

Therep or treferencedres earchfromthe Consumer CouncilN or thernI reland which st ated that 16 6ele ctoral wardsacros sthe region have twoormorebanking services, 187haveone bankings er vice and109 have no services

Therep or ts aidthere are16,00 0c ash access points in Northern Irelandcomparedto 50,0 00 in Scotland and27,000 in Wales.

It said that in allcouncil areasapart from Belfas tand Ards andN or th Down,aroundhalf of pe ople living in arural lo cation aremore than onemileawayfromfre eacces s-to -c ash services

Therep or ts aidmanyrural areasinN or thern Irelandcould be come “ATM free zones”, st atingthiswould have a“negative impact on consumer sand ruralcommunities”.

Therep or tadd ed :“This is notaproblem

onlyfor ruralareas.Ret ailNIadvis ed that they have se en thenumberofavailable AT Ms de crease province -w id eastheyb ecome uneconomic al forret ailers to run.”

Thecommittee said thereare arangesof bankingissuesw hich areuniquetoN or thern Ireland“rangingfromc ashreliancetoan historic ally distinct market to greaterruralit y andcross-b orderissues”

It said that bankingand financial services is notadevolvedissue butthe Executivehas a “criticalroletoplayincommunicating thes e is sues”tothe UK Government

It hasrecommend ed that thereshouldb e consid erationgiven to as trongeroversight role forthe FinancialConduct Authorit y (F CA ).

It said :“TheF CA must do more to monitor andmitigateagainst thedif ferences in theN I bankingand financial services landsc ap ethat disadvantage consumer shere, whichinclude increasedruralit y, reliance on cash andissues af fe ctingcross-b orderbanking.”

Thecommittee welcomed the es tablishmentofbanking hubs,sharedareas whichoffer bankings er vices, buts aid“they do notreplace bank branches”. ■

Word FROMTHE Wise

Thecolumnwithan earforexperience...

Howdidyoustartoutinyourbusiness?

Aftergraduatingwithmydegreeinquantity surveyingfromUlsterUniversity,Ijoinedthe GlasgivenContractsteamas ajuniorsurveyor on-sitein1996.By2001, Iprogressedtothe roleofbuyer/seniorsurveyor.

Marking23yearsontheGlasgiventeam,I wasmade adirectoratGlasgivenin2019and Iamproudtobeapproaching30yearswith thecompanynextyear.Itisnotuncommonat Glasgivenfor ateammembertospend alarge majorityofhisorhercareerthere,and Ifeel thisis areal reflectionofthecompany’s deep cultureandpositive reputation.

Whathaveyoufoundthemost challengingduringyouryearsofbusiness, sofar?

Theconstructionindustryas awholeis susceptibletoa numberofexternalchallenges, andourteamhasnotbeenimmunetothese. In recenttimeswehaveweatheredthe recessionin2009,economicuncertainty createdbyBrexit,theCovid-19pandemic, andcontinuedhyperinflationamongstother challenges. We creditthestrengthofourteam

VincentSmall GlasgivenContracts

andthevalueweplaceon relationshipswith clients,partnersandsuppliersforthebusiness’s longevityandcontinuedstrengthasweenter our40thyearinbusiness.

Howwouldyoudescribeyour managementstyle?

Iwoulddescribemymanagementstyleas participative. Iliketobehands-onwiththe teamonallofourprojects.Thisapproach helpstoencourageinnovationwhilstalso buildingtrustwithourteam. Iencourageall teammemberstocontributetheirideas.The teambenefitsfromtheimprovedmoraleof havingcontributedtoallaspectsoftheproject anditenhancesourworkbybringingmultiple perspectivestothetable.

Whatwouldyouchangeifyoucouldgo backanddoitallagain?

IhavebeenfortunateinthecareerthatI havechosenandinthedifferent roles Ihave undertakenforGlasgivenandwouldnot changemuch.Butif Ihadtotur nbacktime Iwouldadvisemyyoungerselftobemore patient.Theoldadageof‘youcatchmoreflies withhoney’springstomind!

Haveyoudoneitallonyourown?

Ihaveworkedunderthedirectorsandsenior membersofstaffatGlasgivensince Ibeganmy careerhere.Theyhavecontributedgreatlyto theknowledgeI’vegainedovertheyearsandI havebenefittedfrommentorship,trainingand encouragementateverylevel,from arecent graduatejustbeginningmycareertotakingon aleadershippositionandbecoming aDirector.

Howwouldyoulikeyourbusinesstobe remembered?

Iwouldlovethelegacyofthebuildingsthat wehavecreatedspeakforthemselves.From schools,toplacesofworship,healthcare facilitiestocommunityhubs,theprojectswe havecompletedovertheyearsmake areal andlastingdifferencestoindividualsandtheir communitiesandweareproudtoplay arolein betteringtheirlives.

Whatpieceofadvicewouldyougivetoa 20-year-oldyou?

Workhard,lear nbydoing,anddon’tbeafraid toaskquestions. Iwouldalso remindmy youngerselftotreatpeoplewith respect,as youwillmeetthemagain. ■

Motoring

PatBurns

BYDunveilsnewest compactSUV

BYD,theworld’sleading manufacturerofnew-energy vehiclesfromChina,hasannounced pricesfor anewsmallSUV:theAtto2. Availableintwotrimlevels –Boostand Comfort –pricesstartfrom£30,850onthe-roadforBoost,whileComfortstartsat £34,950.TheBoostmodelisnowavailable withtheComfortmodelfollowinglaterthis year.

TheAtto 2isasmarturbanelectriccar, with goodlevelsofcomfortand‘big-car’features. TheBoostmodelcomeswith17-inchalloy wheels,LEDlights, a360-degreecamera, heatedfrontseatsand aheatedsteeringwheel aswellas asix-yearwarranty.

Blendedwithitscompactdimensions,the Atto 2comeshighlyequippedasstandard, withitemssuchas12.8-inch rotatable

touchscreen;wirelesssmartphonecharging; high-techaudiosystemwitheightspeakers;‘Hi BYD’intelligentvoicecontrol;andvehicle-toload(V2L)technology,whichenablesowners topowerexternaldevicessuchas acoffee machineor alawnmower.

Boostmodelsfeaturea51.1kWhbattery producing174bhpand a0-62mphtimeof7.9 secondswhichcandeliverupto214milesof range(combined),risingto302milesforcity driving.Itisfittedwithan82kWDCon-board chargerwhichmeansitcanchargefrom30to 80%injust30minutes.

Meanwhile,Comfortmodelsbenefitfroma larger64.8kWhbatterywhichcandeliverup to261milesofrange. A155kWon-boardDC chargerisfittedasstandard,allowingtheAtto 2tochargeinaslittleas21minutesfrom30 to80%.

TheAtto 2alsofeaturesBYD’sinnovative bladebatterywhichisdesignedtodeliverclassleadingsafety,durabilityandperformance. And,forthefirsttimeon acompactBYD, theAtto 2showcasescell-to-body(CTB) technology.CTBintegratesthebattery completelyintothevehiclechassis,withthe topcoverofthepackactingasthefloorfor thepassengercompartment.TheCTBlayout, whichisuniquetoBYDand afirstinthe compactSUVsegment,deliversimproved packagingandexceptionallevelsofbody rigidity.

SinceMarch2023,BYDhasexpanded itspresenceherebyintroducing arangeof electricandplug-inhybridcars.Justtwoyears later,customerscanpurchasemodelssuchas theBYDAtto3,Dolphin,Seal,Seal UDM-i, andSealion7.

Withitsgrowingportfolio,BYDUKis establishingitselfas akeyplayerintherapidly evolvingEVindustry. ■

Volvo’s smallestElectric Vehicle, theEX30,combinestheSwedish manufacturersblendofstyle, safetyandbuildquality.

ItmightbeVolvo’ssmallesteverSUV,but theEX30isalso aproudflagbearerofthe company’slong-standingandwell-known positionas aleaderinautomotivesafety.

Themulti-awardwinningEX30isavailable in arangeofbatteryandpoweroutputs,but allmodelssharethesamestylishlooks,quality interiorand aTeslastylecentraltouchscreen. Thetouchscreencontrolsmostfunctions, includingairconditioning,entertainmentand satellitenavigation,butitalsois requiredto adjustthe rearviewmirrorsandopenthe glovebox.Thereisnoscreendirectlyinfront ofthedriver,everythingisdisplayedcentrally butthatisnot aproblematallonceyouget usedtoit.

TheEX30rangeoffers achoiceofbattery andpoweroutputs.

Singlemotor:Thispowertrainbalances performanceandefficiency,makingitgreatfor dailycommutes.The rearmotor /rearwheel driveand51kWhbatteryprovide aconsistent energyoutputforquiet,comfortabledriving. Therangeon afullchargeis209miles.

SingleMotorExtendedRange:Thisoption

Newelectric Volvo isstrongchoice

combinesthe rearmotorwith alarger69 kWhbattery.ThisextendstheSUV’srangeto 295miles.Anadvancedinverterinthemotor boostsefficiencysothatyoucandrivefurther on asinglecharge.

Twinmotorperformance: Withfrontand rearmotorsdrivingallfourwheels,this powertrainmaximisesthelarger69kWh batteryforinstanttorquefrom astandstill, seamlessaccelerationandall-wheeldrive stability.Thispowertraindefaultsto rear-wheel driveforefficiencybutusesbothmotorsfor gripandstabilitywhenneeded.Driverscan manuallytur nonPerformanceAll-wheelDrive modeforcontinuoususe.

Allpowertrainoptionsincludeonepedal drivetoimproveefficiencyandmakedriving smoother.

TheEX30scored amaximumfive-starrating inthelatest roundofEuroNCAPsafetytesting, confirmingthatthefullyelectricSUVisanideal carinbusyurbanenvironments.

Inadditiontothehighstandardsfor protectivesafety,theEX30alsocomeswithan advancedsuiteofactivesafetyfeaturesthat aredesignedtohelpyouavoidandmitigate collisionsorrisks.

TheintersectionautobrakeontheEX30 isdesignedtohelpyoupreventormitigate

accidentsatjunctions.Ifanothercarcrosses yourpathinfrontunexpectedly,theautomatic brakeinterventionfeatureisdesignedtobring thecarto astop.

TheEX30alsoincludes adooropeningalert. Itcanwar nyouthroughvisualandaudiocues, ifactivated,wheneveryouareabouttoopen thedoorinfrontof,say,a passingcyclist.

VolvoeffortsalsoensuresitsEX30hasthe lowestcarbonfootprintofany Volvocarto date.

VolvoCars’focuson reducingtheoverall carbonfootprintoftheEX30coversevery aspectofthecaranditscompletelifecycle. Partsandmaterialssuppliershavecommitted tousing100% renewableenergy,and Volvo Carshasstreamlineditsproductionprocesses toensureemissionsefficiencyandmaterials traceability.

Recycledmaterialsareusedwherever possibleintheEX30’sconstruction.Atthe endofitsusefullife,theEX30isalsodesigned sothat95%ofitscontentcanbe recovered, whilethe remaindercanbeusedforenergy recovery.

Thegovernmentsnew£1,500grantisopen tocustomerspurchasingtheEX30.Thegrant canbeappliedtoanynewmodelandprices fortheEX30rangenowstartat£31,560. ■

TakeittoD-Max

The revisedIsuzuD-Maxcombines toughness,technology,and premiumfeatures,andisstronger, saferandbuilttoembodyIsuzu’s‘Driven todo’ethos.

D-Maxmodelscaterforbothwork-focused andlifestyledrivers.It’sequallyathomeonthe buildingsiteorfarmasitisin atownoronthe motorway.

Offeringupto3.5tonnestowingcapacity, over atonnepayload,reardifferential lockasstandardonall4x4models,and comprehensiveadvanceddriverassistsystems, theD-Maxsetsnewbenchmarksforsafetyand performance.

WithtrimsrangingfromtheruggedUtility modeltothehighspec V-Cross,pricesstart from£27,495(plus VAT).Allmodelsuse a1.9 litreturbodieselenginethatproduces169bhp. Itslineupisdividedintotworanges:Business andAll-Purpose.

TheBusinessRange,featuringtheUtility model,isdesignedas ano-nonsense workhorseavailableinsingle,extended, anddoublecabformats. Withdurablevinyl flooring,steelwheels,andadvancedsafety features,theUtilitymodelisbuilttoexcelin demandingenvironments.

TheAll-PurposeRangecaterstothose seekingpremiumfeaturesandmoder nstyling. TheDL20model,availableinbothextended anddoublecabbodystyles,offersheated seats,carpetedinteriors,andalloywheels. Forthosewhodesiremoresophistication, theDL40trimintroducesbi-LEDheadlights, leatherupholstery,anddual-zoneclimate control.Sittingatthetopoftherangeisthe V-Cross,featuringdarkgreyexteriorfinishes, anadvancednine-inchinfotainmentsystem, andaneight-speakerpremiumsoundsetup, combiningluxuryandpracticalityinone vehicle.

Everymodelisequippedwithadvanced driverassistsystems(ADAS),ensuring comprehensiveprotectiononeveryjourney. Thesefeaturesincludethenewintelligent adaptivecruisecontrol,workinginconjunction withtrafficsign recognition,trafficjamassist, newtur nassist,new rearcrosstrafficbraking, improvedlanekeepassistandAttentionAssist, alongsidetheexistingextensiverangeofADAS features,standardcrosstherange,offering peaceofmindtodriversandpassengersalike. Doublecabmodelsbenefitfromeight airbags,including acentreairbagforadded protectionduringsidecollisions,whilethe

currentgenerationoftheD-Maxisalso certifiedwith afive-starEuroNCAPsafety rating.E-Calltechnology,whichautomatically contactsemergencyservicesintheeventofa seriouscollision,furtherenhancesthesafety credentialsoftheD-Max.

Reinforcedunderbodyprotectionandan upgradedladderchassisdeliverdurabilityand theadvanced4WDsystemallowsdriversto seamlesslyswitchbetweentwo-wheeland four-wheeldriveconfigurations.

Everymodelcomesequippedwith awireless multifunctiontouchscreenthatsupportsApple CarPlayandAndroidAuto.Whiletheeightinchmultifunctiondisplayhasbeenaddedas standardacrosstherange,theflagship V-Cross trimtakestheexperienceevenfurtherwitha nine-inchscreen,dual-zoneclimatecontrol, andaneightspeakerpremiumsoundsystem, embodyingsmartertechnologyatitsfinest.

TheD-Maxhasbeen recognisedwith numerousaccolades,includingPick-Upof the YearbyCompanyCar &Van2025,Best RangeandBestBack-UpbyOverlander4x4 2025,andtheSustainability Awardin4x4of the Year Awards2025.Italsoearnedthetitle ofBestDieselPick-UpintheDiesel &EcoCar 2024awardsand Vehicleofthe Year &Best WorkhorsePick-Upfrom Trade VanDriver 2024. ■

Northern IrelandEVdrivers turningtousedmarket

Som e37% of driver sare buying used elec tric cars over newm od el s, as an incr ea sing numb er of se cond hand ve hicles entert he market

That ’s around double theproportion, basedonthe same survey from theEle ctric VehicleA ssociation NI (E VA NI ), from two year searlier

Thefresh survey show ssome9 0% of thos ealready drivingele ctricc ar sw ill ‘likely’ or ‘definitely ’opt foranother when choosing theirnex tvehicle

In 2022,t wo -thirds( 67.8 %) of driver shad to wait ‘often’or‘always’for acharger.Fas t forwardto2025, andthatfigure hasfallen to just 4.9% ,a62.9% sw inginfouryears, accordingtoE VA NI

“Bat tery improvements areb oosting confidencew ith87.5% of driver snow ‘s atis fied’ or ‘ver ys atis fied’ withtheirE V’s

range, up fivep oint sonlas tyear,”its aid.

“A saresult, just oneineight driver s (12.5%)chargeeachday,w ithnearlyone in thre e(30.9 %) only ne edingtoplugins everal timesamonth.”

Andonthe rise in boththenumberof us ed elec tric cars on themarket, andthe demand forthem, thesur veys ay sin2023 around 21.9 %had sourcedtheir EV on the us ed market

“Today,approaching 36.9 %buyer sare choosing pre- ow nedE Vs,drivenbyimproved af fordability.”

More af fordable elec tric vehicles have enteredthe us ed market in thelas tfew year s, many coming of ffinancedeals

Thesur veys aidsome87.5% of hous eholds us eanele ctric carasthe primar y, oronly vehicle, whilemorethanaquarter of thos e families ow nmorethanone EV

“A nd wherehomes stillhaveb othap etrol/ dies el andanele ctricvehicle,the EV do es

more than double themileage (11, 48 0v4,9 98 miles) ,” thesur veys aid.

Savingsremainthe topreasonfor going elec tric with atot al of 56.6%s witching for lowerrunning cost s, or ta xb enefits,w hile 22%s aidthe environmentwastheirmain driver

AccordingtoE VA NI,misinformationis “holding others back”. Respondent sp ointed to “fearmongering in so cial media,”“fals e informationinthe media,”and “negative propaganda”asobs tacles to wideradoption.

“T hisyear’ssur veyshows just howfar EV adoption hascomeinN or thernI reland,” EVAN Ichairman, Mark Mc Call,s aid.

“S atis factionrates arehigherthanever, charging access is beingtrans formed,and more hous eholds arecho osingE Vs astheir main oronly car. Whilemisinformation remainsachallenge,the fact sare clear, driver s whomakethe sw itch arehappier,s avemoney, andnever lo ok back.” ■

Belfast-based4CExecutivehasannounced theappointmentofClaireReidasitsnew managingdirector.ShetakesoverGordon Carsonintherole,whohasnowmovedto workforBryson.

RossFreemanhasbeenappointedmedia salesexecutivebyBelfastCityAirport. Hewillberesponsiblefordrivingdigital advertisingacrossBelfastCityAirport, workingwithclientstodelivercampaigns tosuitallrequirementsandbudgets.

CancerFocusNorthernIrelandhas announcedtheappointmentof anew directorofpolicy,researchandexternal affairstohelpdevelopandgrowits positionas aleadinglocalcancercharity voiceineffectingpublicpolicy.

StenaLinehasannounced arestructuring ofitsportsleadershipteamwiththe creationof anewmanagingdirectorrole forUKandIrelandPorts.Sarah Westwill joinStenaLineinJanuary2026.

BordBiahasappointedConorO’Sullivanto theroleofUKmarketmanager.Bringing over adecadeofinternationalexperience totherole,hewillberesponsiblefor leadingglobalbusinessinitiativesinthe UK.

Employmentlawfirm Watershedhas appointedRachelRichardsonasan employmentlawyer.BasedinBelfast,she willplay akeyroleinexpandingthefirm’s presenceacrosstheUK.

LawfirmTLThasappointedcommercial realestateexpertJonathanO’Hagan as apartner, expandingitspresencein NorthernIreland.

DaveMcKeownhasbeenappointedsales directoratFluid AV.Sincejoiningthe companyinAugust2020,hehasbrought over16yearsofindustryexpertisetothe role.

Fluid AV hasappointedScottRorrison asbusinessdevelopmentmanagerfor Scotland.HewillbebasedinScotland, focusingonbusinessgrowth,client relationshipsandexpandingFluid AV’s network.

1. Translinkhasmarkedthe firstanniversaryofBelfast GrandCentralStation. PicturedareLouiseDoyle, stationmanager,Chris Conway,chiefexecutive, InfrastructureMinisterLiz Kimmins,andKimStewart, Translink.

2. RyanMcCall,winnerofthe HigherLevelApprenticeofthe Year2025,DrCaoimheArchibald, EconomyMinister,Sarah Welsh, winnerofthePublicSector Apprenticeofthe Year2025and FrankMitchell,compereforthe 2026 Awardsceremony.

3. DeputyMayorofArdsand NorthDown, VickyMooreand MusicianLisaDawsonatthe launchoftheLeidandLairn programmeofevents.

4. Translink’sMetroMenu campaign,hailedas‘Belfast’s tastiestbusjourney’,hasofficially drawnto aclose.Picturedare AaronMcNeice,headchef, Waterman,SeanMcGreevy, Belfastareamanager,Translink, MaeveDavison,tourguide, Taste and Tour.

5. Belfast-basedservicedoffice providervenYouismarking15 yearsofgrowth,innovation,and clientsuccess.PicturedareIan Weatherup,CorvusRecruitment, DonnaLinehanandJonnyHill, venYou,andJackieLogan, managingdirectorwithNakedPR.

6. Belfast’sbiggest celebrationoffoodand flavourisbackthisOctober. BelfastRestaurant Week returnsonOctober4-12.

7. MayorofArdsandNorth Down,GillianMcCollumwith FieldsofChangeConferencecoorganiser,BrianWhite, amember ofBaybur nHistoricalSocietyand FamilyHistoryinArdsandNorth Down.NorthDownMuseumwill host aone-dayconferenceon October30atBangorCastle.

8. On avisittoUlsterUniversity DerrycampusEconomyMinister DrCaoimheArchibaldand UlsterUniversityVice-Chancellor ProfessorPaulBartholomew announcedthecampushasseen a21%increaseinapplicationsfor thisacademicyear.

9. P.A.DuffyandCoSolicitors andLoganandCorrySolicitors havemerged,withthecompany nowoperatingas P.A.Duffyand CoSolicitors.PicturedareEnda McGarrity,FeargalLogan,Kieran Quinn,ConalMcGarrity,and EamonnCorry.

10. Coca-ColaHBCIreland andNorther nIrelandhas announceditisswitchingto the renewableenergysource, biomethane.PicturedareSimon Fitzpatrick,generalmanager,and EnvironmentMinisterAndrew Muir.

11. UlsterUniversityBusiness Schoolannouncesthe appointmentofsevennew visitingprofessors.Pictured ProfessorPaulSeawright, CarolinevanderFeltz, MichelleShirlowMBE, CarolineMcGroary, Maeve MonaghanMBE,Daniel BrobyPhD, LynneRainey,and ProfessorGillianArmstrong MBE.

12. NIENetworkshasannounced a‘oncein ageneration’ rebuildof theelectricitynetworksaspartof itsnewadvertisingcampaign,the BigNetworkRebuildCampaign. PicturedareConFeeney,Caron Malone,andDerekHynesofNIE Networks.

13. TheMayorofArdsandNorth Down,GillianMcCollum,unveils the TasteAutumninArdsand NorthDown,whichreturnedto the regioninSeptember.

14. Ballymenaiscelebratinga milestoneasthetown’slocal giftcardsurpasses aquarterofa millionpoundsinsalesinjustover twoand ahalfyears.Pictured is ValerieMcLernon,Fairhill ShoppingCentre.

15. LuxuryIrishbrand Taylor Yates haslauncheditsfirstmade-toorderweekendbag.Picturedare Taylor Yatesco-foundersKaren andEllen Yates,andSinead McNicholl(centre),directorof salesandmarketing,Dunluce Lodge.

16. BelfastChamber,in collaborationwithQueen’s UniversityBelfast,Danske BankandSumerNI, hashelditsProductivity Summit.PicturedareDr PhilChambers,Darragh McCarthy,EmmaProctor,and ProfessorJohn Turner.

17. GemmaHerdmanfromAu Vodkagivesaway aVIPnightout atOllie’stomarkFreshers’ Week, includingexclusivepre-drinks, privatepartyspace,head-turning ridethroughthecityonAu’s goldenbike.

18. Nicola Lyons,Northern IrelandScreen,EimearCallaghan, TourismNI,SamHarding,Game ofThronesStudio Tour,andAlison Morris, TowerMuseum,Derry, launchthenewSCENicRoute map.

19. CoDown-basedPrintLibrary, acompanythatspecialisesin completepackagingsolutions,is investinginnewtechnologyset tobeintegratedintotheteam’s printingprocesslaterthisyear.

20. Stephanie TaresfromSPAR NIlaunchesthisyear’s12 DealsofChristmaswhichis celebrating adecadeofdeals.A £7minvestmentwillbringmore productstothecampaignthan before.

21. VanMorrisoncelebrated his80thbirthdaywith acelebrationconcertat the WaterfrontHallinhis hometown,foranaudience ofhisfans,andfeaturing surpriseguestperformances, includingRonnie Wood.

22. TitanicBelfasthasbeen recognisedasoneoftheUK’sBest WorkplacesinRetail,Hospitality andLeisurebyGreatPlace To Work.

23. Translinkisinvitingpeopleto discovernewplacesandstories through aspecialseriesoftravel blogsbyPoetinResidence,Niamh McNally.

24. Belfastheadquartered Germinalhaslaunchedthe GerminalGrasslandGuide,oneof itsmostcomprehensiveguidesto date,offering afreshperspective onmanaginggrasslandina climate-smartway.

25. ProgressiveBuildingSociety hasannouncedalandmark £80,000commitmenttosupport fourleadingcharitiesinNorthern Ireland,furtheringitsmissionto investinthewellbeingoflocal communities.

26. PicturedattheSeagate investmentannouncement areKieranDonoghue,Invest NI,JohnMorris,Seagate, FirstMinisterMichelle O’Neill,deputyFirstMinister EmmaLittle-Pengelly, FergusO’Donnell,Seagate, andEconomyMinister,Dr CaoimheArchibald.

27. RoderickCanning, finance directoratApexwithClaire McKeown,corporate relationship manageratDanskeBank,after agreeing anew£35m revolving creditfacilitythatwillsupportthe developmentofenergy-efficient homesacrossNorther nIreland.

28. CBRENIhasadoptedan innovativenewownershipmodel thatwillensureemployeesbenefit fullyfromthefuturegrowthof thecompany.PicturedareGerard McCann,BrianLavery,andRobert Ditty.

29. AICONisbackforitsseventh year,helping reaffirmitsposition asthelargestandmostinfluential AIconferenceinIreland.

30. HaymarketBelfasthasopened twonewbarsandextended anotheraspartof amulti-million pound regeneration.Picturedare MartinaConnolly,BelfastOneBID, andGarethMurphy,Haymarket Belfast.

31. TheNorther nIreland MotorIndustry Awards, sponsoredbyUsedCarsNI, hasofficiallyunveiledthe shortlistedfinalistsforits 2025ceremony.Pictured areSandyBurgess,Rebecca McKinneyandCurtis McCosh,andEmmaMarley ofheadlinesponsorUsed CarsNI.

32. Paralympicchampionand BAFTA-winningdocumentary makerEllieSimmondswilldeliver thekeynoteaddressatthe2025 VoicesofLeadershipConference inBelfast.

33. BankofIrelandhaslaunched anewfraudawarenesscampaign withthetheme‘Notallsocialis social’,highlightingthethreat offraudoriginatingfromsocial mediaplatforms.

34. CommunitiesMinisterGordon Lyonshaslaunchedtheupdated RegisterofParks,Gardensand DemesnesofSpecialHistoric InterestforNorther nIreland.He’s picturedwithGemmaCarson, National TrustandCaro-lynne Ferris,Outscape,at arecentvisit toCastleCoole.

35. MKBLawhasannounced keyadditionstoitssenior managementtean.Picturedare NeilLogan,MariaConway,Emma Smyth,ChristopherMason, GordonMcElroy,andDavid McAlinden.

36. Anewsurveyby UlsterUniversityhasfound thatwhilegraduatesare embracingAItechnology, employers remainwaryamid highlevelsofcompetition, highlighting agrowing disconnectinthegraduate labourmarket.

37. SistersPaulaKellyandartist andambassadorJacqueline Rooneyareencouragingwomen totakeonapinkfundraisersuch as apaint-and-sipcoffeemorning or‘Girls’NightIn’eventthis OctoberinaidofActionCancer’s breastscreeningservice.

38. Advertisingand communicationsagencyASG hasbeenawardedtheInstitute ofPractitionersinAdvertising (IPA)EffectivenessAccreditation, becomingthefirstNorthern Irelandagencytoachievethe recognition.

39. PicturedasLibertyITopensits newofficeinGalway’sBonham QuayarePraveen Talavar, ValentinaRodrigues,AlanQuigley, TonyMarron, TristaMonaghan, WesFleming,and Trevor McWeeney.

40. JusticeMinisterNaomiLong haswelcomedtheprogressof newofficesandlabsduringa visittoForensicScienceNorthern Ireland(FSNI),whereshehad theopportunitytomeetstaff andhearabouttheworkofthe agency.

Biggerisn’t alwaysbetter withnew eye-catching Tissot Seastar

Tissothasreleased anewrangeof 38mmchronographs,bringingsome much-neededdownsizinginwatch dimensionswithadditionaltime-keeping complications. JohnMulgrew gets handsonwithtwoofthelatestreferences

Therearen’tenoughsmaller chronographsintheworldof moder nwatchmaking.

Ibangonabouthowdimensionshave changed,alongsidetastes,overtheyears.

Butasidefromthevery,veryhighendof watchmaking,and afewmicrobrandswhich havemadeitsomethingoftheirraisond’etre, manyofthemainstreamcompaniesstillfavour largerchronographs.

It’sinteresting,whenyouthinkthatRolexes fromthe1960sand1970s –oftenboasting relativelydiminutivecasesizesof37mm –are someofthemostexpensiveandsoughtafter vintagetimepieces,oftengoingforsixfigures.

While Tissothas arangeofwatcheswhich takeinallshapesandsizes,andtheselatest

Seastarmodelsareacutelymoder nincharacter andbuild,it’staken aleaffromthevintage marketwithits reducedcasesizes.

WhilesomeofitsSeastar1000chronos aresizeablewristmonsters –manycomingin at45.5mm –theSwissentry-levelbrandhas turnedthevolumedownto38mmforitslatest collection.

Fromtheoutset,thesearecertainlybeing aimedatthefemalemarket,and,ingeneral, thosewithsmallerwrists. Isaythatasthe rubberstrap Ihadononeofthemodelson loanwaswearingprettyflushonmy18.5cm wristonthethirdlasthole.

However,abraceletversionwas, Iassume, sizedinfull,andhadatleasttwoorthreelinks tocomeoutinordertofit.

Whilethereare paredbacksteeliterations withblackdials,and atwo-tone,it’sthe punchylightgoldandturquoise reference whichstandsout.

PVDgoldisnotsomethingwhichgenerally piquesmyinterest,asitcanlook alittlegaudy. However,thisis asubtlecolour –almost somewherebetweenbronzeand alight rose gold.

There’salotpackedintothatsmallercase, withstripingonthedialand aturquoise gradientworkingintowardsthecentre, alongsidethreesubdials.There’salso adate, whichitcouldprobablyhavedonewithout. The rotatingbezelfollowsthesameturquoise palette.

There’samixtureofsoftbrushingonmost ofthecase,withpolishingonthetopofthe lugs,aroundthebezel,andontheendsofthe pushers,whichareofthescrew-downvariety.

Whathelpsthiswholethingpopisthe colourpalette,anditscasesize.There’salotto catchtheeyeonwrist,whilethesmallerwatch actuallydrawstheeyemorethansomething typicallylarger.

Theaccompanyingrubberstrapfeaturesa little Tissotbranding,and astandardbuckle–sorry,nodeployant.

It’sarguablythemostinterestinginthisnew range –theothersfeelingliketheyareon morefamiliarground.

Thenthere’stheall-blackPVDoption. Essentially,everythingisblack,includingthe bracelet,bezel,dial,andmarkers.Although thereisatouchofthesamegradientpattern onthismodel’sdial,too,bringingin alittlesoft graytowardsthemiddle.

ThesePVDwatchesdefinitelyworkbetter with asmallercasedimension,suchasthis,as theycanbe alotonthewrist.Itwilldefinitely workforsomeone,butmightnotfallintothe mostusablewatchcamp,giventhecolour scheme –orlackof –onshow.Thesetwo,and others,areavailabletopurchaseatLunn’sthe Jewellers,acrossitsstores. ■

Polishgemis picture perfect fora citybreak

Dottedwithornamentalgnomes,Wroclawistruly magicalwithitsriversandislands,writes

RoslynDee

Thefirstthinganyvisitorneedsto lear nabout Wroclawinsouthwest Polandishowtopronounceit.So forgetabout“rocks”and“claws”andget yourtongueinsteadaround acityname thatsoundsmorelike Vrots-waf. Yes, Vrots-waf.Nowyouhaveit.

Thesecondthingyouneedtogettogrips witharethecity’sornamentalgnomes,for thereare currentlysome800littlebronzefellas scatteredhereandthereacross Wroclaw.

Alegacymascotofsorts,itwasabout20 yearsagowhenthegnomesstartedtoappear onthestreets.Theywereusedasanabsurdist symbolbytheanti-communistOrange Alternativemovementinthe1980s,inan attempttobelittlethegovernment.

Theprotesterswouldpaintpicturesof gnomesontopofcommunistpropaganda leaflets,andwhenanti-communistgraffitiwas paintedoutbythegovernment,protesters wouldthenpaintpicturesofgnomesoverthe top.Basicallymockingthegovernment.

There’snorealexplanationanywherefor whythelittlefiguresstartedappearingin 2005 –exceptthatthe WroclawCityCouncil commissioned alocalartist, TomaszMoczek, tocreatefivefigures.Morefunvibethan politicalstatementthesedays,you’llfindthem everywhere,theirnumbersgrowingasthe yearsprogress,andwiththeirspecificpresence onanygivenpavementindicating aconnection withanadjacentpremises.

Soyou’llfind atinybronzelawyeroutside theBarCouncilbuilding,forexample,anda butchergnomeinStareJatkialleyway,now linedwithlittleartisancraftshopsbutoncethe spotwherethecitybutcherspliedtheirtrade. Thenthere’sthepizza-chefgnomeoutside apizzeria, asmallbronzemusicianoutsidea jazzclub,and averycutetinypostmanontop ofthemailboxinthepostoffice,andsoon. Whenyouwalkthecityyou’llkeepspotting them,timeandtimeagain.

Andwalkingthecityiscertainlythebest waytostarthereinwhatwasoncethe GermancityofBreslaubutwhich,since1945, hasbeenPolish,andisnowthecountry’sthirdlargestmetropolis.

IstrikeluckywithArek,mytourguide,on theafternoonofmyarrival. Aformerjournalist whohasbeenguidingtouristsnowformore than adecade,heis amineofinformationand Iquicklystarttoseehishomecitythroughhis eyes.

It’sadelightfulplace,withitsstunning Rynek(MarketSquare),oneofthelargest medievalsquaresinEurope,surroundedby colourfulpicture-postcardbuildingsandwitha massivegothictownhallatitsheart.

NearbyisSolnySquare(thesaltmarket intheMiddleAges)withits24-hourflower market,whilejust ashortstrollawayisthe DistrictofMutualRespectwhereyou’llfind Orthodox,Catholic,ProtestantandJewish placesofworshippracticallysidebyside.

Interestinglythisareacomesaliveatnightwith allits restaurantsandbars,andisknownfor thebestnightclubsintown.

Addintothefirst-impressionsmix Wroclaw’s idyllicsettingaroundfiverivers,with100 bridgescrisscrossingthewaterwaystovarious islands,anditsoverallappealisobvious –and that’sevenbeforeyoutakeinanyoftheboxtickingsights.

Havinggotmybearings,I’mhappyto hitthegroundearlyonthemorningofDay Two,withArekleadingtheway.Firstupisa tramridewhichtakesustooneof Wroclaw’s architecturalwonders –theUnesco-listed CentennialHall,builtin1913andnowoffering itsownvisitorcentredocumentingitshistory andfeaturing anumberofinteractiveexhibits. Essentiallyanexhibitionhallwhich

nowadaysoperatesas aconcertorsporting venue,itsscaleisawesomeinthetruesense oftheword.Setinbeautifulparklandthat alsoboaststhecountry’slargestmultimedia fountain,it’shere,rightbesidetheCentennial Hall,that Idiscoveroneofthehighlightsof myvisit.

ThisistheFourDomesPavilionwhichhouses theContemporaryArtMuseum,dedicated totheworkofmodern-dayPolishartistsand offeringanincrediblearrayofpaintingsand installationsthatworkperfectlyfrom avisitor’s pointofviewwithinthisstunningbuilding wherethelightpoursinandbouncesoffits white-walledinterior.

Aftermakingmywaybacktothecentral MarketSquarearea(thetramsystemischeap andefficient)andgrabbing aquickstand-

upbitetoeatinthecoveredfoodmarket, Ihopontoanothertramandmakemy waytowhat’sknownastheDepotHistory Centre.Don’tletthenameputyouoff–this is afascinatingandinformativemuseum, dedicatedtothestoryof Wroclawafter World WarII.

Appropriatelyhousedinthecity’soldbus depotwheretheworkerscameoutonstrike inAugust1980insupportoftheSolidarity movement’sworkersinGdansk,thebuilding hasbeenbrilliantlytransformed,laidout acrossvarious roomstellingtheirtalesofwhat ordinarylifewaslikehereundercommunism, martiallaw,andonintotheSolidarityyears. Informative,visuallyengagingandsurprisingly moving.

BeforeIarrivedin Wroclaw Ihad read

aboutthe VertigoJazzClubanditwasonmy must-visitlist.Establishedonly adecadeago, itseemedlikequitetheplace.So,onmylast nightinthecity,off IgotoVertigo.Andwhat ablast;low-lit,atmospheric,brilliantstaff, goodfoodandgreatmusic –andpackedto thegillswithlocalson aweeknight.

WroclawisoftendescribedasPoland’s “hiddengem”. Well,it’sagemalright,but there’snothinghiddenaboutit.It’seasily accessible,andnotatall arip-offwhenit comestoaccommodationandeatingout.

Itsoldtownisbeautiful,burstingwith history,anditsriversandislandslayoutistruly magical.NotastouristyasKrakowandnot asvastas Warsaw,whenitcomestoPoland, Vrots-waf(getitright)isperfectshort-break territory. ■

TECH NOLO GY

If you’relooking for theleadingAIphone… youneed to check outthePixel 10

Google’slatestPixel10rampsupthefeatures, alongwith adigitalzoomofupto100x,writes Adrian

Weckler

IsGoogle’sPixelrangenowtheobvious alternativetoAppleandSamsung flagshipphones?

Lastyear’sPixel 9and 9Pro modelswerethe firstPixels Ifoundtobeunequivocallyonpar–foralmosteverything –withiPhoneandGalaxy premiummodels.

Thisyear’sPixel10andPixel10Prodevices aresimilartolastyear’sphones,buthaven’t advancedmuchinhardware(withonecamera exception).Havingtestedthemfor awhile,I wouldcallthemminorupgradesthatgreatly relyonGoogle’sAIinvestments,ratherthan anynotablephysicaladvances.

Thatstillmeansthatthey’reserious alternativestoiPhonesandGalaxies.Or,if you reallylikeAI,they’rearguablynowfrontrunners.

Themaindraw,aswithmostpreviousPixels, istheirfast,smooth,easy-to-useinterface alliedtocategory-leadingAI(Googleowns theGeminiAIthathalftheothersmartphones areintegrating),alongsidehardwarethat’s generallygoodenoughtomatchmostrivals.

MytwotestmodelswerethebaselinePixel 10(pitchedatiPhone16andSamsungS25 users)andtheflagshipnon-foldingmodel, thePixel10ProXL(Google’sequivalentofa SamsungS25UltraoraniPhone16ProMax).

Thereare twootherPixelmodelsinthe range,thePixel10ProandthePixel10Pro Fold,which Ihaven’tyettested,thoughthe10 Proisalmostidenticalinfeatures,powerand outputtothePixel10ProXLthat Ididtest.

If Ihadtopickonestandoutupgradein therange,it’stheadditionof athirdcamera onthebasePixel10model.Thismeansthat aswellas amain(1x,48-megapixel)and ultrawide(0.5x,13-megapixel)camera,you nowalsogetanopticaltelephotozoomlens (5x,11-megapixel).

Thisis afairlybigextrafeatureforsomeone wholikestakingvariedphotosandvideoson theirphone,butdoesn’tneedallthe restof thepremiumbellsandwhistles.Anditputs itaheadofsomeotherbigrivals;noneofthe iPhone16basemodels,forexample,havea thirdtelephotolens –youhavetopayway over€1,000togetoneon aPro model.

Thatmain48-megapixelcameraonthe Pixel10isalsogenerallyexcellent,withsome improvementinlowlightoverlastyear’s model.Itproducessuperbcrisp,detailed photos.

Ontheotherhand,the(13-megapixel) ultrawidecameraonthebasePixel10is noticeablyweakerthanlastyear’sPixel9. Googleseemstohavecutcostsbytakinga cheaper,smaller,inferiorultrawidesensorhere.

Theresultsfrommytestingwereimmediately obvious –thisjustisn’tasgoodasultrawides onotherphones.ThisisdisappointingasI thinkultrawidesareareallyexcellentpartofa normalphone’s cameraset-up.

Sothat’sthetrade-offwiththePixel10 –a verywelcomethird(telephotozoom)camera, paidforby aslightlydegradedultrawidelens.

It’sadifferentstorywiththePixel10ProXL. Insteadof abignewfeatureoradegradation, theProXL’scamerasareexactlythesame aslastyear –samemegapixelcount,same sensors,sameranges.

That’snotnecessarilybad,asthemain(1x, 50-megapixel),ultrawide(0.5x,48-megapixel) andtelephotozoom(5x,48-megapixel) camerasareall reallygood.

Thetelephotocannowdigitallyzoomup to100x.Whenyoudothat,ittakes acouple ofsecondsafteryou’veshotthephotoand appliesAItosharpenthephotoautomatically.

Overall, Ifoundthistoworksurprisingly well.It’sthefirst100xsystemI’veused (withapologiestoSamsung’sS25Ultra)that producessomewhatusablephotosatthat unfeasiblylongrange.

Thereare somefairlysolidcameraAI upgradestotalkabouthere,availableonall modelsfromthePixel10up.

Themostusefuloneisprobablythat sharpeningtelephotozoomfeature.But

thereare alsosomepowerfulnewphotoeditingtools,particularlytheabilitytojust typeinwhateverimprovementyou’dliketo maketothephoto(whetherthat’sremoving figuresfromthebackground,brighteningit, sharpeningitorjustsaying“makethisphoto better”).

Anewfeature,CameraCoach,alsoadvises youonhowtoframeorlightwhatever’sin frontofyou.

IcanseeanyoralltheseAIfeaturesbeing usefulatdifferenttimes.

GoogledesignsitsownTSMC-manufactured chipsnow –thePixel10rangeuseswhat Googlecallsthe TensorG5processor –and they’remerelyadequate.

Nothing Ithrewateitherphoneproduced anythinghintingof alagordelay,butit’s worthpointingoutthatthesechipsdon’t benchmarkwellagainstthechipsinthelatest iPhonesorGalaxyS-phones.Theycannot,for

example,supportraytracingingames,unlike almostallotherflagshipphonesoutthere.

Sothisisn’tagamer’sphonesystem, thoughthechipisconsiderablyfasterthan lastyear’sTensorG4andbothofmytest phonescouldhandleanyamountofphoto andvideoediting,aswellasnormalday-todaystuff.

Batterylifewasfineonbothmodels, comparingataroundthesamelevelasyou’d expectfromsimilarflagshipphones.

Ultimately,thereisn’tthatmuchdifference betweenthePixel10ProXLandlastyear’s Pixel 9Pro XL.But Iwould regardtheaddition of athirdtelephotocameratothePixel10 asbeing abigenoughchangetocallita significantlychangeddeviceoverthePixel9, evenifthequalityoftheultrawidehasbeen degraded abit.

Ultimately,though, Isuspectphysical upgradesmaynotbeasimportanttothePixel thisyearasinpreviousyears.

MyhunchisthatGoogleisbuildingupsuch astrongAIecosystemthatthehaloeffect ismorelikelytobecomeingrainedinPixel phonesthananythingelse.Inotherwords, foralltheAppleandSamsungtalkaboutAI, Google’sPixelisprobablythedeviceyouthink ofwhenyouthink“AIphone”.

IfAIfeaturesappeal,thePixel10and Pixel10ProXLare premiummodelsthatyou needtoconsideralongside,orevenabove, SamsungsandespeciallyiPhones.

Ifnot,thePixel10is agood –butonlya good –flagshipphone. ■

my day

JonnyDavies, managingdirector, EmeraldUrgentCare

6am

Thedaystartsearlyinourhouse,twoenergetic littleonesmeanthere’snosuchthingas aliein.It’sstraightintomakingbreakfast,tidying upwhateverchaoswasleftfromthenight before,andtryingtoget acoffeeinbeforeit goescold.It’sabitoforganisedchaos,butit’s ournormal.

6.30am

It’sa straightdriveintoBelfast,whichisusually when Icatchuponthenewsandrunthrough myto-dolistforthedayahead.By8am,I’mat EmeraldUrgentCareonGreat VictoriaStreet, coffeeinhand, readytoseewhatthemorning willbring.Thething Ilovemostaboutthe clinicisthatnotwodaysareeverthesame, wetreat awiderangeofnon-emergency medicalconcerns,seeingpeopleofallages andbackgrounds.

7.30am

Thefirstjobis reviewingtheovernight messagesandmakingsuretheteam, amix ofparamedicpractitioners,advancednurse practitionersandGPs,aresetfortheday.We runthroughanyupdates,chatthroughwhat’s comingup,andmakesureeverything’sinplace beforethefirstpatientsarrive.Alongsidemy clinical role,I’malsomanagingthebusiness, everythingfromstaffingandbudgetsto lookingatpotentialnewcliniclocationsaspart ofourexpansionplansacrossNI.

11am

Appointmentsareamixofwalk-insandprebookedslots. Today,I’vetreated atouristfrom theUSwithanearinfection, alocaloffice workerwith achestinfection,and ateenager needingstitchesafter askateboarding accident.It’sbusy,butthat’swhat Ithrive

on,thevarietykeepsyousharp,andthere’s hugesatisfactioninknowingyou’vemade someone’sdaythatbitbetter.

1pm

IfI’mlucky,I’llnipoutfor aquickwalkaround thecitycentre.Belfastisspoiledforchoice whenitcomestolunchstops,todayit’sa chickenwrapfrom aplacejustaroundthe corner.It’sachancetostretchmylegsand resetbeforetheafternoonrush,andoften make afewworkcallsaboutthebusinessside ofthingswhileI’mout.

3pm

Backattheclinic,it’smoreofthesame, everythingfromminorinjuriesandinfections topeopleneeding adressingchangeor removalofsutures.I’velearnedthatinurgent care,youhavetobe readyforanything.In betweenpatients,I’lloftenbelookingat figures, reviewingoperations,orexploringnew opportunitiestoexpandEmeraldUrgentCare intootherpartsofNI.

5.30pm

Asthedaywindsdownforme,theclinickeeps going,we’reopenuntil8pm,sothere’safew morepatientstosee. Ihandovertothelate shiftteam,makingsurethey’reuptospeed onanythingthatneedsfolloweduponbefore weclose.

7pm

Eveningsareformywifeandthekids. Itryto keepworkawayfromhomelifewhereIcan, butrunning abusinessmeansthere’salways theoddmessageoremailtocheckonce they’resettled.

9pm

Iftheweather’sgood,I’lltake awalkalong thecoast,it’smywaytoswitchoff. Yearsago, Icompletedthegruelling6633ArcticUltra Marathon,sogettingoutdoorsisstill abigpart ofwho Iam.Thesedays,myadventuresare abitclosertohome,butthere’snothinglike beingoutbythewatertoclearyourhead. ■