New president for Restaurants Association
The 25th President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland is Kildare man, Paul Lenehan. Mr Lenehan is the owner and operator of Harte’s Gastropub and the Dew Drop Inn and also the newly opened Firecastle in Kildare.
Mr Lenehan has experience in all areas of the hospitality sector, completing the GMIT Hotel & Catering Management Course in 2001 and gaining experience working in every role since 1999, from housekeeping, to bar tending, to food and beverage right up to general management in hotels, from Wexford to Frankfurt.
Paul faces a challenging term over the next two years with rising business costs, skills shortages and the 9% VAT rate campaign a main focus.
“I promise to work hard and diligently to help steer our industry back to normality. It’s not going to be easy, it never is, but the Restaurant Association of Ireland is a strong and dynamic organisation and works hard for its members and lobbies the Government in Ireland Europe,” Mr Lenehan said when speaking of the presidency.
MIKE BUTT AWARD
As is tradition at the Restaurants Association of Ireland President’s Dinner, outgoing president Mark McGowan presented the Mike Butt Award, named for one of the founding members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and awarded in honour of an individual’s exceptional contribution to the Irish Food & Tourism Industry. This year’s recipient was Olivia Duff of the Headfort Arms and Maperath farm in Kells, Co Meath.