The Spotlight Stage

JANICE GAULT
Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Hotels Federation

Janice Gault is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin holding a BA Hons and a Post Graduate
Diploma in Management. She began her career in the handicapped services in Dublin before
moving into industry holding a variety of roles in manufacturing eventually specialising in the
commercial and customer service areas. Originally from Londonderry, she returned to the
province in 1995 working with John Cleland & Son, a large carton manufacturer and M&S
supplier. Her next role was as the marketing director at Odyssey where she was part of the
launch team for Northern Ireland’s landmark Millennium Project. Janice took up the role of Chief
Executive with the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation in 2002, is a founding member of NITA,
the umbrella tourism for Tourism and currently serves as its Vice-President. She is also part of
the executive of HATS, Hospitality and Tourism Skills Collaborative Network. Her role is to
represent the hotel sector and ensure their needs are addressed within the civic and political
forum. A keen traveller her hobbies include literature and travel.

MARTIN TONER
Director of People, McKeever Hotel Group

Martin is a member of the executive team at the McKeever Hotel Group, a family-owned and
operated hotel group which currently runs five hotels. He epitomises an industry success story.
This a journey he is keen to replicate throughout the business by striving to create strong and
satisfying roles within the group for team members. Starting as a barman he worked his way up
to a General Manager position, a role he held for over 20 years successfully driving the
operations and managing teams before making the move into a group role.
He has been part of the acquisition team within McKeever Hotels for many years and his
strengths lie in not only knowing the ratios needed in each department and operational
challenges, but his understanding of the people within the teams and how to help them reach
their career goals. A testament to this work was the Group’s winning of the Employer of the
Year 2022 at the NI Family Business Awards

ROISIN MCKEE
NI Director, People 1st / HATS

Roisin is responsible for facilitating the work of the HATS network – an employer-led
collaboration to help attract, build and retain a skilled workforce in hospitality and tourism.
Working closely with sector employers, providers and key stakeholders she leads a work
programme focused around 3 key workstreams to help tackle the challenges faced and support
the network’s ambition to ensure that the sector can access the talent and skills it needs to
thrive:
1. Attract
Maximising promotion of the sector to encourage and support recruitment of new talent
into future employment
2. Retain
Promoting good working practices and building industry awareness of available skills
support to retain talent
3. Engage
Harnessing collaborative working across key partners and leveraging existing resources
for skills and career development to maximum effect
She has over 20 years professional experience in the visitor economy gained in industry,
education and community sectors in Ireland, UK and internationally and is a firm advocate for
people development.

VICKY GREEN
Associate Director, Andras House Hotels

Vicky Green originally hails from Hampshire, England and was brought up in a family with strong
ties to the hotel trade. Her interest in the hospitality industry was ignited and she began her
hospitality career in the pub sector. However, the lure of hotels proved too much and she
returned to what she states as her natural calling upon moving to Belfast in 2001.
She has worked for Andras House since 2003 and has progressed within the company now
holding the position of Associate Director, Business Development. In this senior role, she
oversees the business development portfolio of the group’s ten hotel properties with over 1000
bedrooms across a range of international brands. The Group is continuing its expansion
programme increasing hotel numbers, through acquisition and construction adding The Marcus,
a Tapestry Hotel by Hilton to its portfolio in early 2025.
Vicky’ interests include motorbikes and attending rally’s and enjoying her husband’s amazing,
experimental food. She is married to the charismatic Andy and together they are proud parents
to the delightful Grace.

CHAIR
DANIELLE MCCORMICK
Owners & Lead Consultant, Triterra

Danielle is a sustainability professional with over 23 years’ experience in delivering local, national, and European behavioural change and sustainability campaigns and events, business mentoring and green marketing support, and is the Founder and Lead Consultant of sustainability consultancy, Triterra. With a solid background in the industry, Danielle holds a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Science, a CIM level 4 certificate in Integrated Communications; CIM training in behavioural change; a PgCert in International Business and a PgCert in Renewable Energy & Energy Management, both from the University of Ulster. Danielle also Founded the All-Ireland Sustainability Professionals Network, Summit and Awards, with the goal of raising the profile of the sustainability agenda across the Island of Ireland.

MATTHEW HYNDS
General Manager, Killeavy Castle Estate

Matthew brings with him a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry, with a rich heritage deeply intertwined with the field. A graduate in Event Management from Ulster University, Matthew's journey has taken him through various management roles in prestigious hotels and 4 and 5-star properties across Ireland and Europe before joining Killeavy Castle Estate in the role of Operations Manager, where he spent two years overseeing operations across all areas of the estate before his promotion to General Manager. For Matthew, hospitality is all about people. He thrives on witnessing customers leave the property with lasting smiles and memories, which he believes is the ultimate success of any hospitality endeavour. His leadership style is focused on empowerment, encouraging his team to contribute ideas and creativity. With his deep understanding of the hospitality landscape, his commitment to exceptional service, and his profound appreciation for his roots, Matthew is set to lead Killeavy Castle Estate into a new chapter of excellence.

TARA BEATTIE
Founder, Prepsheets

In 1998, Tara and her husband Brian embarked on a journey in the food industry by founding Mange Tout, an esteemed fine dining restaurant. Over time, their passion for providing exceptional culinary experiences led them to expand their business into event catering, eventually establishing 8 SI Cafés across Leinster. While building and managing their ventures, Tara and Brian recognized an unaddressed need in the market for a professional hospitality staffing company. This realization inspired them to create The Caterwaiter, which swiftly evolved into a prominent recruitment firm serving prestigious clients like, William Fry, Google, Aramark, and more. In 2019, they successfully sold this business, cementing their reputation in the industry. In 2021, driven by their commitment to sustainability and effective kitchen management, Tara, Brian, and their son collaborated to digitize a valuable internal tool they had developed over the span of 25 years: Prepsheets.com. As an innovative digital recipe management platform, Prepsheets.com helps hospitality businesses minimize kitchen waste, meet preferred margins, ensure accurate allergen information, and even provide calorie information to customers when needed. Prepsheets.com won Best Foodservice Technology Product - Back of House at CATEX 2023 (The biggest hospitality expo in Ireland) and is a HPSU Enterprise Ireland supported company. Tara's notable achievements in the food industry, combined with her unwavering dedication to food waste management and sustainable practices, exemplify her as a prominent figure in the field. Her entrepreneurial spirit, demonstrated through the success of Mange Tout, The Caterwaiter, and the creation of Prepsheets.com, showcases her commitment to enhancing both the culinary experience and environmental responsibility within the hospitality industry.

STEPHANIE MCEVOY
Founder of Farming Carbon & Author of ESG Made Easy

I started my career in high end hospitality on the high seas. I worked on private superyachts in extreme luxury, and adventured across the mediterranean stopping off at vineyards, farms, food festivals and beautiful restaurants. So much of what we provided was around the guests meal experiences and the quality of the food. A few years later, after learning about the impact of farming practices on food quality, environmental protection and biodiversity - I wanted to establish a link between industry spend on environmental impact and improvements and facilitating opportunities for farmers to improve their practices. I have an app in development and provide consultancy services for food adjacent businesses who want to complete their carbon reporting.

FRAN MORELLI
Director & Collaboration Manager, Vava Influence

Francesca Morelli is Director & Co-Founder at NI’s first dedicated Influencer Marketing Agency, VAVA Influence. Along with her business partner, Chloe, Francesca connects influencers to businesses across NI, ROI, and UK for marketing and promotional purposes. Chloe and Francesca are also the founders of The VAVA Club - NI’s first TikTok House - and The VAVA Awards, NI’s first exclusive Influencer Awards. Francesca and Chloe often train businesses in social media and influencer marketing to empower and enable their teams to create effective campaigns and engaging content. Francesca also advises and mentors student entrepreneurs at Queen’s University; a job she loves after having begun her career as a student co-founder in a local tech startup.

KARYN BOOTH
Professional Food Stylist, KB Foodstyling

After graduating from catering college, Karyn entered the pastry kitchens of Selfridges and The Ritz Hotel in London, training for three years. She then worked for Albert Roux in London, Sir Terence Conran’s Sartoria, London and Paul Rankin’s Michelin Starred Roscoff in Belfast, developing her craft over 12 years before continuing her education in Food Science and Technology at Loughry Campus, Cookstown. Since then, she has spent twenty years learning, practising and perfecting food styling for photography and film. Karyn was a food stylist on the international hit Game of Thrones and created the Stallion's Heart for Daenerys Targaryen, a wonderful and very cool opportunity for her. Karyn is a food stylist on How To Train Your Dragon, Universal Productions. She is a member of The Guild of Food Writers, London.

SHARON COSGROVE
Food Photographer

Sharon Cosgrove is an award winning food and drinks photographer specialising in commercial and advertising photography.

Capturing high end imagery for renowned brands including Dale Farm, Spar, Marks and Spencer, Asda and Waitrose, Sharon’s experience spans 18 years in the industry.

GUY CORR
Digital Content Creator, Fast Food Guy NI

Guy Corr, known online as Fast Food Guy NI, is a prominent content creator specialising in promoting Northern Ireland's fast food scene. With a dedicated following of over 55,000 fast food enthusiasts on social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, Guy's engaging videos showcasing the diverse offerings of Northern Ireland's fast food restaurants have garnered over 2 million views. Guy's on-trend content creation has spotlighted the unique flavours and experiences offered by Northern Ireland's culinary landscape.

DR WENDY AUSTIN MBE

BARBARA CANTLEY
Interim Director Consumer Protection, Utility Regulator

Barbara Cantley is Interim Director of Consumer Protection. She is responsible for consumer outcomes and protection across a range of consumers (domestic, non domestic and consumers in vulnerable circumstances). She also leads on UR’s compliance and enforcement investigations. Previously she held the role of Head of Function over retail markets which included retail energy market monitoring and development of retail regulatory frameworks. Prior to joining the UR, she worked in private practice in both audit and consultancy. Barbara is a Chartered Accountant and a graduate from Edinburgh University.

MALCOLM EMERY
Managing Director, Radius Energy

With extensive experience in the energy sector across government, B2B and B2C, Malcolm is conversant with national energy strategies and regularly contributes to the wider energy strategy and debates. He leads the Radius Energy strategy to help reduce clients’ ongoing energy costs and energy consumption.

STEPHEN KELLY
Chief Executive, Manufacturing NI

As CEO of Manufacturing NI, Stephen represents the interests of the sector to Governments in NI, UK, the EU and the US in areas which impacts on Northern Ireland’s position as a location to create, invest, grow and sustain a manufacturing business. He at the forefront of NI’s business community’s actions on Brexit and response to and building from Covid. He was a member of the UK Government’s Board of Trade, UK National President of Junior Chamber International and the BBC’s Broadcasting Council and is currently on the Board of a local arts based social enterprise as well as a Visiting Professor in Ulster University’s Business School.

HOST
NIALL PARFITT
FSB NI Area Leader and owner of Atlanticus Digital

GUEST SPEAKER
LYNETTE MCHENDRY MBE
Founder and Director of Spear & Arrow Bone Broth

Before launching Spear & Arrow Lynette was a Civil Servant a career spanning 17 years working in various Departments within the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) in procurement, contract management and Service Improvement, unfortunately, a cancer diagnosis in 2015 ended Lynette’s career abruptly. 

During 3 years on treatment Lynette poured her energy into fundraising for breast cancer charities and Queens University Cancer Research Centre and raised £95,000. In 2019 Lynette was awarded a MBE for her services to women with breast cancer.

In 2020 two years in remission Lynette launched Spear & Arrow Bone Broth after discovering the health benefits of consuming this daily. Manufacturing bone broth in her unit in Ledcom, Lynette is now entering her 4^th year in business and has established a wide customer base in the UK through her online website, local wholesale, ROI and GB distributors.

GUEST SPEAKER
BRENDAN KEARNEY
FSB NI Regional Chair and Owner of Oakley Fayre 

Brendan has been owner and partner of their family run business Oakley Fayre Coffee Shop & Restaurant based in Downpatrick since established in 1979. Brendan has been involved in the catering industry from early 1970s and recently the team at Oakley Fayre faced an incredible challenge with the flooding of their business in Downpatrick.

Brendan will talk to us about the impact that has had own his and other SMEs in the area and the support they have received.

NIAMH RAINEY
Employement Development Manager, NOW Group

I began employment with NOW Group in August 2018, in this time I have worked supported people with Autism and Learning Disabilities into jobs with a future. In this role I have supported in securing and sustaining jobs. This includes advising on reasonable adjustments and delivering disability inclusion training. From July 2023 I have been managing the in work support team.

LIAM MCGARRY
Logistics Manager, Henderson Foodservice

Liam McGarry has over a decade of experience in logistics management, currently serving as the Logistics Manager at Henderson Foodservice. Throughout his career Liam has demonstrated a strong commitment to optimising supply chain operations and ensuring seamless delivery of products to customers. With his expertise in strategic planning, process improvement, and team leadership, Liam plays a vital role in driving efficiency and customer satisfaction within the logistics department at Henderson Foodservice. Additionally, Liam has been dedicated to supporting apprenticeships and staff development initiatives, fostering a culture of continuous learning and professional growth within the organisation. His dedication to excellence and proven track record make him a valuable asset to the company's success in the foodservice industry.

CHRIS SANDFORD
Founder & CEO, Culinary Ability Awards

Chris Sandford, a Scotsman who has lived in Ireland for more than 20 years, is passionate about giving people opportunities. Multi gold medalist, recognised in his profession attaining world Master Chef status ,  Disciple of Esscoffier, recipient of World Chefs Humanitarian Award  and countless other accolades, he founded the Culinary Ability Awards because he could see a space for people with disabilities in the hospitality industry. Running competitions in Dublin and Belfast, participants from groups like Down Syndrome Ireland and Fighting Blindness and countless others over the years came together to showcase their skills in a professional environment and let potential employers see what they could do.

For Chris Sandford, the biggest achievement was bringing a team of four disabled competitors to the Culinary Olympics in Stuttgart just before the pandemic hit in 2020.

I recognise the ability in these talented individuals that’s why we are called The Culinary Ability Awards.

MICHAEL DEANE
Michelin Star Chef

Michael Deane is one of the most recognisable faces of Ireland’s hospitality industry. He is proprietor of three different restaurants in Belfast, Deanes Meat Locker, Deanes Love Fish and Deanes at Queens as well as two Private Dining Rooms. He shares credit for transforming the city’s food culture and holds the record for the longest-lived of Northern Ireland’s Michelin Stars with a total of twenty-five stars held over the years.
He gained his first Michelin Star in Deanes on The Square in Helen’s Bay and opened Deanes Belfast in 1997.
Over the years Michael himself and Deanes Restaurants have achieved a string of accolades like Restaurant of the Year on several different occasions, including in 2016 when Deanes EIPIC was named Restaurant of The Year in Ireland and Michael was hailed Entrepreneur of The Year in Ireland. In 2023 he was named by Michelin, Chef Mentor of the Year for UK, and Ireland.
He is also well known for his contributions to local charities including The Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children, The Chest Heart & Stroke Association and The Princes Trust in which he mentored scores of young people carving out a better life for themselves.
Michael puts his consistent success down to a loyal winning team, who under his watchful eye, take responsibility for providing the best of local food.
He said “Our dedication to sourcing the best local produce and demanding the highest standards of cooking and presentation continues to please customers at home, as well as those visiting from abroad, and that is the only secret to our success”.

MC
NIGEL BARDEN
Food & Drink Broadcaster

Nigel Barden is a food and drink broadcaster, who works on the Simon Mayo Drivetime Show on Greatest Hits Radio and previously on Scala Radio. He was also on air with Simon and Chris Evans, on their Sony Gold award winning BBC Radio 2 shows for 12 years and he’s worked with Robert Elms on BBC Radio London for 27 years. He specialises in promoting British ingredients and artisan producers, particularly in his role as chairman of judges for The Great Taste Awards, Farm Shop & Deli Awards, World Cheese Awards, British Cookery School Awards, Deliciously Yorkshire, and host of The North West Family Business Awards, National Fish & Chip and Ice Cream Alliance Awards. Nigel hosts the Chef Demo Stages at Tom Kerridge’s ‘Pub in the Park’ festivals throughout England.  

His own radio show “Barden’s Soundbites” was on Scala Radio and saw Nigel playing music inspired by food & drink. On TV “Nigel Barden’s Drivetime Dishes” airs on Amazon Prime and Simply Good Food TV. His first podcast was “A Grand Hotel by Corinthia”, a 3 part series featuring chef Tom Kerridge and the Corinthia Hotel and he’s currently championing artisan food and drink producers in his podcast for Britannia Living. 

During lock-down Nigel presented live tastings for the British Cheese Weekender, highlighting the plight of the artisan cheese making community and hosted the Virtual Cheese Awards over the past two years, a 6 hour live event. He fronts the UCFF (Universal Cookery Food Festival) monthly 'Chefs Banter' and sat on the industry panel debates for Sodexo Foods. Nigel was the voice of the ‘Sea For Yourself’ radio campaign for Seafish, the public body supporting the seafood industry & was filmed cooking in his own kitchen. He interviewed numerous producers online for the Food & Drink Wales Cluster. 

Nigel hosted the cocktail hour, to close 8 hours of the National Fruit Show, which was held virtually for the first time in 87 years in 2020. He also regularly hosts online cheese & wine tastings, often linking up with tasters abroad. 

During lockdown, footage of ‘Cooking with the Barden Boys’ with Nigel and his 3 sons was posted on Instagram and twitter @NigelBarden. For the dishes he cooks weekly on Greatest Hits Radio, check out NigelBarden.com. 

He is currently recording a new football video game, for which he’s the commentator. 

In a former life Nigel was a director of Yorkshire Fine Wines. He grew up on a farm in Lancashire, studied land agency at the Royal Agricultural College and worked in Yorkshire as a land agent. Nigel’s also a BBC rugby commentator and trained as an actor. His wife is from Sicily and they have 3 boys under 25.

JOHN FARRAND
Managing Director, Guild of Find Food

John had the great benefit of growing up in a home where esoteric ingredients from around the globe were commonplace. That exposure and a love of the land led him to study Agriculture & Food Industry Management at Wye College, University of London. A course that covered farming and production as well as sales and marketing strategy.

After graduating, John joined Burnham International, a niche freight and distribution business, managing the distribution of financial and annual reports across the globe. Following an MBI in 2000, he remained as a non-equity director until 2002.

Since then, John has worked for the Guild of Fine Food, unapologetically a family business, and has been closely involved in the development of the Guild’s trade magazines Fine Food Digest, Great Taste Book and Good Cheese as well as the Guild’s two major food awards, Great Taste and World Cheese. He has developed cheese and charcuterie training programs for Fortnum & Mason and Harrods and the Guild’s own retail cheese course.

John heads up the committee that represents the Guild of Fine Food trade association and represents SMEs at a government level sitting on the Food and Drink Sector Council, the Agri-Food Chain Directorate within DEFRA, and sits on the Independent Retailers Confederation’s steering group, alongside other trade bodies waving the flag for independent retail, worthy food & drink producers, and the preservation of the high street.

What experience can he share?
John was staging cheese at the World Cheese Awards when he was just 13 and has therefore spent his whole life in fine food, always connected to the family business. That’s a great advantage in a sector that has a high percentage of family farms and enterprises producing food and drink. Understanding the fabric of the entire trade and having a pretty good contact list is useful to any fledging food producer or retailer.

He has a unique perspective on publishing, exhibitions, training and award schemes within the fine food trade.

MC
NIGEL BARDEN
Food & Drink Broadcaster

Nigel Barden is a food and drink broadcaster, who works on the Simon Mayo Drivetime Show on Greatest Hits Radio and previously on Scala Radio. He was also on air with Simon and Chris Evans, on their Sony Gold award winning BBC Radio 2 shows for 12 years and he’s worked with Robert Elms on BBC Radio London for 27 years. He specialises in promoting British ingredients and artisan producers, particularly in his role as chairman of judges for The Great Taste Awards, Farm Shop & Deli Awards, World Cheese Awards, British Cookery School Awards, Deliciously Yorkshire, and host of The North West Family Business Awards, National Fish & Chip and Ice Cream Alliance Awards. Nigel hosts the Chef Demo Stages at Tom Kerridge’s ‘Pub in the Park’ festivals throughout England.  

His own radio show “Barden’s Soundbites” was on Scala Radio and saw Nigel playing music inspired by food & drink. On TV “Nigel Barden’s Drivetime Dishes” airs on Amazon Prime and Simply Good Food TV. His first podcast was “A Grand Hotel by Corinthia”, a 3 part series featuring chef Tom Kerridge and the Corinthia Hotel and he’s currently championing artisan food and drink producers in his podcast for Britannia Living. 

During lock-down Nigel presented live tastings for the British Cheese Weekender, highlighting the plight of the artisan cheese making community and hosted the Virtual Cheese Awards over the past two years, a 6 hour live event. He fronts the UCFF (Universal Cookery Food Festival) monthly 'Chefs Banter' and sat on the industry panel debates for Sodexo Foods. Nigel was the voice of the ‘Sea For Yourself’ radio campaign for Seafish, the public body supporting the seafood industry & was filmed cooking in his own kitchen. He interviewed numerous producers online for the Food & Drink Wales Cluster. 

Nigel hosted the cocktail hour, to close 8 hours of the National Fruit Show, which was held virtually for the first time in 87 years in 2020. He also regularly hosts online cheese & wine tastings, often linking up with tasters abroad. 

During lockdown, footage of ‘Cooking with the Barden Boys’ with Nigel and his 3 sons was posted on Instagram and twitter @NigelBarden. For the dishes he cooks weekly on Greatest Hits Radio, check out NigelBarden.com. 

He is currently recording a new football video game, for which he’s the commentator. 

In a former life Nigel was a director of Yorkshire Fine Wines. He grew up on a farm in Lancashire, studied land agency at the Royal Agricultural College and worked in Yorkshire as a land agent. Nigel’s also a BBC rugby commentator and trained as an actor. His wife is from Sicily and they have 3 boys under 25.

ARTIE CLIFFORD
Chairperson, Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards 

Artie Clifford is the chairperson and founder of Blas na hÉireann, The Irish Food Awards. Blas na hÉireann seeks to recognise and reward the very best of Irish producers and is now heading into its 17th year of the awards.

Artie’s background is in the seafood industry, having worked as a commercial fisherman for over 25 years he then ran his own seafood company, producing chowders and pates. With a passion for food and the business of food Artie saw the need for an awards system based in Ireland, recognising Irish products & producers.

Blas na hÉireann was founded to create a level playing field for all producers, both large and small so that the very best tasting Irish food & drink products would be recognised. Blas na hÉireann’s unique blind tasting system is based on sensory analysis principles and was created with the team at UCC & the University of Copenhagen.

Through Artie’s long career in food he has continued to learn, studying food science at UCC. He has worked with various support agencies to promote Irish food producers and Ireland as a food tourism destination. His support of Ireland as a food destination begins at home working locally on the Dingle Peninsula on the initiative; the L in DingLe is for Local and was one of the founding members of the Dingle Food Festival. 

DANIELA MORELLI
Sales & Marketing Director, Morelli Ice Cream

Daniela Morelli-Kerr is Sales & Marketing Director at her family business Morelli Ice Cream Ltd. She has been in this role since 2016. The Morelli family business was established in Coleraine in 1911 by Peter Morelli. Daniela is part of the fourth generation of the Morelli family now running the award-winning ice cream business.

LAURA ANNE BRADLEY
Co-Owner, Indie Füde

Laura is co-owner of Indie Füde, a business founded in 2016 to exclusively showcase the exceptional produce of the island of Ireland. She is a passionate advocate of all things local and sustainable, and has gathered a wide knowledge base to allow her to highlight this. Laura has judged at The Irish Cheese Awards, The Great Taste Awards and The Blas Na Heireann Awards. She relishes the opportunity to discover new and exciting makers this way - as well as being able to support makers in the industry.

JOEL NEILL
Operations Director, Hospitality Ulster

Joel Neill is Operations Director at Hospitality Ulster – the voice of the Hospitality Industry in Northern Ireland. He joined the organisation as a graduate in 2010.

Joel is also a Director at Larne Football Club and a freelance football commentator, having previously worked with the Belfast Giants media team and official Podcast.

BILL WOLSLEY
Founder, Beannchor Group

Bill Wolsey is Managing Director of the Beannchor Group, owners of the five - AA – red star Merchant Hotel, 5 pubs, the popular Little Wing Pizzeria chain of restaurants, Bullitt Hotel, The National and The Dirty Onion, Yardbird & The Second Fiddle.

Originally from Ballysillan, North Belfast, he opened his first bar in Bangor over 45 years ago. Today, the Beannchor Group is one of Northern Ireland’s largest employers in the hospitality industry, with over 1000 employees.

A self - made man, Bill is a true believer that tenacity, drive, determination and hard work are essential qualities to succeed in business. From giving talks in schools, colleges and prisons, he commits significant personal time to supporting community and grass roots initiatives, helping contribute to positive socio-economic change.

Passionate about music, culture and built heritage, Bill is a keen supporter of the arts.

He has been awarded many accolades including an Honorary Doctorate for services to business and received an OBE for services to business and the hospitality industry in the Queen’s 2014 Birthday Honours list.

He is a positive ambassador for Belfast and Northern Ireland and has made a terrific contribution to the hospitality and tourism landscape of Belfast city through his visionary approach to developing new and exciting venues that have vastly improved the social fabric of the city.

MC
NIGEL BARDEN
Food & Drink Broadcaster

Nigel Barden is a food and drink broadcaster, who works on the Simon Mayo Drivetime Show on Greatest Hits Radio and previously on Scala Radio. He was also on air with Simon and Chris Evans, on their Sony Gold award winning BBC Radio 2 shows for 12 years and he’s worked with Robert Elms on BBC Radio London for 27 years. He specialises in promoting British ingredients and artisan producers, particularly in his role as chairman of judges for The Great Taste Awards, Farm Shop & Deli Awards, World Cheese Awards, British Cookery School Awards, Deliciously Yorkshire, and host of The North West Family Business Awards, National Fish & Chip and Ice Cream Alliance Awards. Nigel hosts the Chef Demo Stages at Tom Kerridge’s ‘Pub in the Park’ festivals throughout England.  

His own radio show “Barden’s Soundbites” was on Scala Radio and saw Nigel playing music inspired by food & drink. On TV “Nigel Barden’s Drivetime Dishes” airs on Amazon Prime and Simply Good Food TV. His first podcast was “A Grand Hotel by Corinthia”, a 3 part series featuring chef Tom Kerridge and the Corinthia Hotel and he’s currently championing artisan food and drink producers in his podcast for Britannia Living. 

During lock-down Nigel presented live tastings for the British Cheese Weekender, highlighting the plight of the artisan cheese making community and hosted the Virtual Cheese Awards over the past two years, a 6 hour live event. He fronts the UCFF (Universal Cookery Food Festival) monthly 'Chefs Banter' and sat on the industry panel debates for Sodexo Foods. Nigel was the voice of the ‘Sea For Yourself’ radio campaign for Seafish, the public body supporting the seafood industry & was filmed cooking in his own kitchen. He interviewed numerous producers online for the Food & Drink Wales Cluster. 

Nigel hosted the cocktail hour, to close 8 hours of the National Fruit Show, which was held virtually for the first time in 87 years in 2020. He also regularly hosts online cheese & wine tastings, often linking up with tasters abroad. 

During lockdown, footage of ‘Cooking with the Barden Boys’ with Nigel and his 3 sons was posted on Instagram and twitter @NigelBarden. For the dishes he cooks weekly on Greatest Hits Radio, check out NigelBarden.com. 

He is currently recording a new football video game, for which he’s the commentator. 

In a former life Nigel was a director of Yorkshire Fine Wines. He grew up on a farm in Lancashire, studied land agency at the Royal Agricultural College and worked in Yorkshire as a land agent. Nigel’s also a BBC rugby commentator and trained as an actor. His wife is from Sicily and they have 3 boys under 25.

GEMMA AUSTIN
Chef & Creator, A Peculiar Tea

I graduated for Ulster University in 2019 with First Class Honours in Culinary Arts.

In the 4 years since graduating, I have done the following:

Opened A Peculiar Tea in Belfast, a 34 seater fine-dining restaurant nestled in the heart of the Queens Quarter. Within 11 months, our fully female kitchen entered the Michelin Guide.

Opened Mamó, a Patisserie located at St. George's Market, serving beautiful desserts and pastries.

Represented Northern Ireland on the BBC's Great British Menu three times.

Chair of the Belfast Food and Drink Tourism Network and Volunteer for the FSB's Policy Unit.

Winner of Ulster Tatler's Restaurant of the Year 2022 and winner of Inspirational Business Women of the Year Award.

SUZIE LEE
Cook, Presenter & Author

Suzie is the winner of BBC's Best Home Cook 2020! She also happens to be an accountant.
Since winning the show, Suzie has gone on to present several series of Suzie Lee Home Cook Hero which air on BBC NI and BBC IPlayer. She is also one of the judges on RTE's Takeaway Titans and BBC's new network show, Food Fest which is now on BBC and BBC Iplayer. Suzie also presents for BBC Bitesize and appears regularly on Ireland AM and This Morning.
Suzie has also worked with a number of brands including SuperValu, SafeFood and Netmums for PR campaigns and demonstrates at food festivals around the UK and Ireland.
Suzie is the author of two acclaimed cookbooks, Simply Chinese and Simply Chinese Feasts, the latter published in January 2024.
She is a mother-of-two and juggles looking after her young children whilst also running her accountancy business from home and exercising in her spare time.
Suzie does everything at 100 miles an hour and packs as much as possible into every day, and was nicknamed the "Tasmanian Devil" by her friends as a result.
She's been cooking since she was a child when she used to help out in her family’s Chinese takeaway. and now Suzie is at her happiest when cooking up big feasts for her extended family. Her cooking style is hearty family food served in very generous portions

SARAH HUMPHRIES
Head Chef, Millars Restaurant

I started working at a young age in a restaurant in the north coast , from that I worked my way through all aspects of hospitality but found the kitchen is where I loved the most

I was lucky enough to be able to work my way up and end up opening my own restaurant in Belfast

JULIAN EDWARDS
Chair, Foodservice Consultants Society

Julian is a chef by trade and following experiences in hotels, restaurants, and contract catering he become a food service consultant in 1996. He is the MD of GY5 Food Service Consulting that delivers independent consulting on management and design projects, ceo of Allergen Accreditation, that is celebrating 10 years this year, and currently Chair of the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI UK&I). He is a big advocate of collaboration and thoroughly enjoys engagement with colleagues across the whole catering sector. Julian is also a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality and a Certified Food Service Professional. Most recently he was honoured to be listed in the Top 20 Most Influential in Public Sector Catering in the UK.

BRYAN CHAN
Digital Optimisation Manager, SSP Group Plc.

 Bryan Chan, locally from Northern Ireland and a former student of Southern Regional College and Ulster University, holds a degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management. With a robust background in food and beverage operations, Bryan transitioned from a family takeaway business to roles in restaurants and hotels. Over his 13 years with SSP, Bryan evolved from a food & beverage operator within UK airports to a global role as a Digital Optimisation Manager for SSP Group PLC. Specialising in adapting customer-facing digital solutions into SSP's operating units, Bryan has notably been driving future innovation by introducing Robotic Waiters into Belfast International Airport and rolling them out across Europe, including airport locations in Frankfurt, Oslo, and Paris.

SSP is a leading operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, with c.42,000 colleagues in over 600 locations across 36 countries.  Operating sit-down and quick service restaurants, cafes, lounges, and food-led convenience stores, principally in airports and train stations, with a portfolio of around 550 international, national and local brands. These include our own brands (such as UrbanCrave, which brought the first “street eats” concept to airports in the US and Nippon Ramen, a noodle and dumpling concept in the APAC region) as well as franchise brands such as (M&S, Starbucks and Burger King). 

PAUL CAVES
Managing Director, Stephens Catering

After finishing an Hnd in retail and distribution Paul completed a Ba honours business and finance degree at university of ulster.
He set up an equestrian business which he still runs with wife Beverley and also and gained valuable knowledge and experience in a local accountancy business prior to joining the family business. Initially starting in the warehouse, then moving into transport , purchasing and sales becoming a director in 2004 along with sister Julie and eventually taking on the MD role in the north in 2009.

DR. ULRICH DYER
Founder, Symphonia Spirits

Ulrich spent 30 years in drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry, five years ago he changed direction and founded Woodlab Distillery in Moy Co. Tyrone, home of Symphonia Spirits. Their spirits have won many awards for their great taste but have also won two Footprint awards for sustainability in the drinks industry.

PETER MOORE
Founder, Established Drinks

Peter Moore currently Founder of Established Drinks Ltd. Incorporates strong relationship-building, account management skills, and is proficient in Spanish and conversant in French. His role involves guiding the company's strategic vision, business development, and fostering an innovative environment. He previously worked as a Global Brand Ambassador & Educator at Drinksology Kirker Greer, and has experience in teaching English in Spain, bartending in London, and managing hospitality establishments in Belfast. Peter holds qualifications in WSET Level 2 in Spirits, CELTA TEFL, NVQ Level 3 in Customer Service, and a postgraduate degree in Music Production and Technology. He is also actively involved in sports, being a qualified IRFU Rugby Coach and Schools’ Rugby Referee.

MARYAM HSN
Founder & CEO, Susneo

Beginning my career in the hydrocarbon exploration sector as a physicist and geophysicist, I specialized in big data and algorithm development. My journey took a turn into management consulting during the advent of advanced analytics, tackling complex business and governmental challenges. I then advanced to the role of Global Head of Data Management at Yara, where I led the identification of new data-driven opportunities and later with Smart EV Europe contributed to the development of technology ecosystems and EV initiatives across Europe, focusing on building robust data platforms.
Founding Susneo was a natural progression in my quest to address the intricate enterprise information challenges within sustainability measurement and carbon footprint analysis. Our mission is to simplify and democratize these processes for SMEs and larger organizations, which often grapple with multiple conversations to determine their initial and subsequent actions for sustainability.
At Susneo, we are dedicated to presenting clear, data-driven evidence that links environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors to financial performance. We believe in transforming ESG from a mere compliance requirement to a strategic business advantage.

PHILIP RAINEY
Chief Executive Officer, Weev

Philip Rainey is Chief Executive Officer at Weev with unrivalled experience in delivering huge infrastructure projects across Northern Ireland. He was previously Chief Executive of Herron Bros-owned company Simple Power which invested and built wind turbines across but left the business shortly after it was sold to London based investment fund Foresight in 2018. In his position as CEO of leading EV solutions provider Weev, Philip works alongside a talented team which has ambitious plans to create Ireland’s largest EV network.

STEPHEN MELDRUM
General Manager, Dunluce Lodge, Portrush

Stephen is the General Manager of the new and exciting luxury Dunluce Lodge, Portrush which will open later this year. Situated alongside the 4th fairway of Royal Portrush Golf Club it will provide guests with an unparalleled experience amidst some of the most beautiful scenery that Northern Ireland’s Causeway Coast has to offer. Prior to this, Stephen managed the Grand Central Hotel, Belfast Northern Irelands largest hotel, part of the Hastings Hotels Group. In total, Stephen worked for Hastings Hotels for over 21 years, previously managing the Ballygally Castle Hotel, The Everglades Hotel, the Culloden Estate and Spa and the Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in County Down. He began his career working for Croft Inns, and before joining Hastings Hotels, worked and managed several small family-run restaurants and bars. During his career, Stephen has been involved in numerous high-profile events that have come to Northern Ireland including welcoming The President of the United States to King Charles and Queen Camilla, and from the MTV European Music Awards to the Irish Open, just to name a few. Stephen has previously been President of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation and Chairman of the Institute of Hospitality NI.. His interests include Rugby, golf and supporting is beloved Liverpool Football club. Stephen is married to Sharmaine with 2 children Ruby & Rory.

ADRIAN MCLAUGHLIN
Ex-General Manager, The Merchant and Carton House Hotel

DARREN CAVE
Irish Rugby Star

MICHAEL HENDERSON
Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Takeaway Association

DECLAN WAYNE
Country Manager, Flipdish

ALEX HUSTON
Food Blogger

BARRY KIRWAN
Director & CTO, SmartEposNI