Orla, who is a registered National Hygiene Partnership Licensed Trainer, teaches Food Science, Food Safety and Nutrition and is responsible for student welfare in the Shannon College of Hotel Management since September 1998. Orla has a B. Ed degree in Home Economics from Trinity and a Masters in Health Education and Promotion from the University of Limerick.

Students who successfully complete and achieve certain grades in the three year Level 7 Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management at the STA will be granted direct entry into Year 4 of the Level 8 Bachelor of Business Studies in International Hotel Management (BBS) at Shannon College of Hotel Management. The first group of 15 STA Advanced Diploma graduates is due to enrol in Year 4 of the BBS programme at Shannon College in September 2011.

Orla expressed delight at how well the Management of Food Hygiene course was received by the students and, in particular, how well they all did in the subsequent examination. She also attributed part of the success to that fact that the students really appreciated the time and money which was spent on them at this stage of their career development and that they are combining their studies with their work in 4 and 5 star resorts in the Seychelles and this provides them with plenty of opportunities to apply the key principles of food safety and hygiene in their work environment.

Orla’s personal views on the importance of food safety training are encapsulated in the following statement; “I think increasing education and awareness around food safety ensuring as far as is possible safe food for the customer is essential for people working in all areas of the food industry and am delighted that all our students in Shannon complete the National Hygiene Partnership’s Management of Food Hygiene course during their course here inthe college.”

Shannon College of Hotel Management established formal links with the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) in 2010. The partnership operates on an outreach basis, hereby all aspects of the Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management at STA are closely supervised by Shannon College of Hotel Management. This includes on-site supervision of exams, approval of exam papers and attendance at exam board meetings. The partnership also involves regular supervisory visits, guest lecturing and Shannon College assistance with curriculum development. The Seychelles Tourism Academy is a government funded public college. The partnership has been approved by the NUI Galway and the Seychelles Qualification Authority (SQA).

Pictured with their certificates are (from left to right): Elizabeth Whelan, Joe Kenny, Niall Hooper, Joe Higgins, Nicola Paul, Tom Murphy, Larry McGrath
Front row seated, Barbara Griffiths with Denis Tucker, Chairman of the National Hygiene Partnership and Joan O’Shaughnessy, Chief Executive of ARAMARK Ireland.

The intensive course has been developed by the National Hygiene Partnership, and gives the ARAMARK managers the knowledge and skills to implement and manage a comprehensive food hygiene system and to organise ongoing hygiene training for staff.

Joan O’Shaughnessy Chief Executive of ARAMARK Ireland said, “We have always relied, and continue to rely on, the dedication and expertise of our people to set us apart from our competitors. The award of the Management of Food Hygiene certificates to our teams clearly demonstrates that we place the highest priority on the quality and safety of our food offering.”

Derek Carter, Learning & Development Manager, ARAMARK Ireland said, “It is so important to equip our management team with recognised and relevant qualifications like this. We have a team of dedicated and experienced professionals leading the business across the country and training such as this allows them to meet the high expectations of our company, our clients and our customers.”

Topics studied on the course include: microbiology and food poisoning, food preparation, cooking, holding and display, food preservation, personal hygiene and safety, food safety legislation, HACCP and the application of a food safety management system to the workplace

WINNER: ST BRIGID’S HOSPITAL So excited were the catering team at St Brigid’s with their win in The Shelbourne that they asked if they could bring the giant sized Gold Medal logos used on the stage back to Co Laois with them so they could celebrate with patients at the hospital.

Winning the Gold Medal Award, says catering manager Margaret Gorman, was not only a huge morale boost for the team, it was also a huge boon for the residents and their families, as well as the staff in St Brigid’s.

‘Achieving such a distinguished award has been not alone hugely gratifying and rewarding but also it has instilled within us a great sense of achievement and accomplishment as the work we undertake on a daily basis has been recognised as cutting-edge and of the highest standard,’ says Margaret.

It isn’t just the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Award Jury the St Brigid’s team have been impressing however. The catering department also recently achieved a mighty 100% in a Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) audit and St Brigid’s has been identified as a benchmark for other catering services in the midlands to follow. The Allied Health Therapy Professionals who work closely with the catering team have additionally endorsed the site as best practice throughout the entire HSE
organisation.

It is not hard to see why the catering team get such rave reviews, as love and attention to detail are evident throughout the entire operation. Customer care is at the core of the team’s offering and food is of an exceptional standard. Ingredients are sourced locally (meat travels four miles, fruit and veg 30 miles and milk and cream 18 miles) and menus are devised with health, nutrition and special dietary requirements in mind. Menus operate on a three-week cycle and are reviewed quarterly by the nutrition team and feedback from patients and staff are taken on board in menu development.

But the Gold Medal Award isn’t prompting the catering team to rest on their laurels – quite the opposite. ‘It has given us a renewed sense of life and empowered us to further our thinking with regard to enhancing our resident centre ethos,’ says Margaret.

That’s what we like to hear.

The Judges’ View:
‘Health and wellbeing is at the forefront of this busy catering operation, and the team provides highly nutritious and innovative menus for patients, catering to every dietary requirement. HIQA awarded the catering department at St Brigid’s 100% in its recent audit and it’s easy to see why the caterers were recommended as best practice. Our expert catering industry judges were bowled over by the exceptional standards and care evident across the board at St Brigid’s.’

Finalists
Aramark Healthcare at Beneavin Healthcare Campus, Glasnevin Dublin 11
Aramark Healthcare at University Hospital Galway
Black Olive Catering at Barretstown, Ballymore Eustace, Co Kildare
Masterchefs Munster at Moffetts Restaurant,
National University of Ireland, Galway
St Brigid’s Hospital, Shaen, Co Laois

WINNER: SODEXO NORTHERN IRELAND When Sodexo Northern Ireland landed the contract to operate the catering facilities at all of the Police Service of Nothern Ireland’s facilities, it also scooped the largest single catering contact on the island of Ireland.

It was a major coup, but it represented a mighty job – with all 42 sites across the province to be mobilised on the same day, 1 December 2008. Add into the mix the Chief Constable’s gala Christmas Party for 200 VIP guests on day one and you get the feeling that it was a baptism of fire for
Sodexo’s NI operation.

The hard work paid off however, with all catering operations soon bedded down, and the facility at PSNI Seapark in Carrickfergus hailed as the jewel in the crown. When the client opted for a major refurb, Sodexo helped turn the catering department from a one-room facility with a domestic cooker and a hatch for serving customers, to an all singing, all dancing new restaurant with upscale design and a shiny new kitchen. The investment was rewarded with a mighty 300% increase in sales and 65%
increase in customer patronage.

Serving 60 PSNI staff on site, the regularly updated range of menus include traditional breakfasts with healthy alternatives, morning treats in line with latest trends, and lunch reflecting high street offerings for
consumption on and off site. Promotions showcase local food producers as well as highlight health and wellbeing and Cathy Anderson, the craft development chef dedicated to the PSNI account, works with chefs to develop a range of innovative offerings.

As first-time entrants to the Awards, the Sodexo Northern Ireland team were absolutely thrilled with the win, says Alaistair Armstrong, PSNI account manager. ‘To get through as a finalist was a great achievement so we were happy with that. When we won the Award, we couldn’t believe it.
It’s great for all the team who have worked so hard since we took over this account, and it’s also great for the company as we will use this to promote Sodexo as a whole.’ The client was delighted too. ‘We got a letter from the Deputy Chief Constable congratulating us on the win, which was nice. The win validates the client’s decision to invest in the facility.’

The Judges’ View:
‘Sodexo NI’s team of expert management and staff deliver an exceptional offering for workers at the Carrickfergus facility, providing innovative menus, top quality fare, and a welcome range of healthy options. Committed client service is key to the success of this award-winning operation, which is justly described as the flagship catering facility in the PSNI.’

Finalists
Aramark Ireland at Genzyme, Waterford
Sodexo Northern Ireland at PSNI Seapark, Carrickfergus, Co Antrim
Sodexo Ireland at APC Galway
The Barristers Tea Rooms, The Four Courts, Dublin 7

Management of Food Hygiene Course (3 x Days)

Starting: Monday 05-Mar-2012

Location : Dublin

Venue
TBC

Start Time 9.30 a.m.

Contact Pat Hogan 01 820678 or 087 6479884