Archive for the ‘News’ Category

New Senior Appointments at Mount Charles Group Signals Growth Across Island of Ireland

Posted on: December 5th, 2023 by Stephen Mackie


Mount Charles Group’s recent senior appointments mark an exciting phase of expansion across the island of Ireland. Mount Charles Group has unveiled key changes in its leadership team, signalling a strategic move towards heightened business growth. With a workforce of over 2,700 individuals, the company stands as one of Northern Ireland’s prominent independent providers of catering, cleaning, events, and facilities management services. Additionally, it offers a diverse range of business solutions, encompassing security and vending services.

The newly appointed Group Commercial Director, Gary Doyle, brings over three decades of invaluable business experience to Mount Charles. Gary will take the lead in driving the company’s sales strategy across Ireland.

Joining him is Barry O’Hara, the new Operations Director for the Republic of Ireland, who boasts a robust background in catering, hospitality, facilities management, and sales. Barry will oversee the operational aspects of all Mount Charles sites in the Republic of Ireland while contributing to the organisation’s overall business growth.

Moreover, the company has appointed Gavin Annon, a longstanding member of the Mount Charles family and the Group Sales and Marketing Director since 2017, to the position of Chief Strategy Officer. Gavin will play a key role in developing and implementing varied business strategies across Mount Charles. In addition, he’ll strengthen the company’s culture and values, both internally and externally, while crucially driving forward the ambitious ESG plans.

Gavin Annon commented: “We see immense potential for growth across the island of Ireland, particularly within the private sector, and these new senior appointments are integral to helping us realise our ambition and vision.

“Looking ahead, we see great opportunity and potential in our continued expansion in ROI, which includes maximising our service line, enhancing our capabilities and actively looking for strategic acquisition opportunities for business diversification across the group.

“As we embark on this exciting phase of our business growth journey, our strategic vision remains firm. We are committed to recruiting and developing exceptional individuals who not only deliver outstanding service to our clients but also play a pivotal role in shaping a brilliant future for our organisation.

“We also understand the importance of ESG, and our ambition is to be a market leader in this regard, giving back to the community, caring for our planet and embodying the principles of a responsible business.”

#Greatpeople #Greatservice #Greatfuture

Mount Charles Introduces a Flavourful Global Touch at Belfast International Airport with its Newest Culinary Hotspot!

Posted on: November 27th, 2023 by Stephen Mackie

Named ‘Hawker’, this fresh eatery by Mount Charles is all about Asian street food vibes, nestled in the Northern Quarter of the Belfast International Airport. Prepare yourself for an exquisite culinary adventure featuring a sophisticated menu influenced by the rich heritage of Asian cuisine.

Hawker has just opened its doors, buzzing with five new staff members, ready to serve all the travellers cruising through airport.

Trevor Annon, Mount Charles Chairman, said that the company is looking forward to continuing its work alongside Belfast International Airport.

He added: “Having already developed a close working relationship with Belfast International Airport over the last number of years, we are excited to launch our latest venture in Hawker. We are committed to excellence and customer satisfaction, and so we have significantly invested in the restaurant unit itself, the branding, the staff and of course the new menu offering. We believe that Hawker will elevate the dining experience for the airport’s customers and service users.”

Graham Keddie, Managing Director, Belfast International Airport, commented: “Hawker is an exciting new concept for Belfast International Airport, and we are delighted to welcome this new Asian street food addition to the departures concourse. This new outlet underlines our commitment to enhancing the passenger experience and providing customers with more choice on their journey through the airport.”

Matthew Wheatley, Head Chef at Hawker, said: “Hawker is the adaptation of the ever-evolving food industry. As food trends come and go, it is important to carefully develop a menu with deep appreciation for fresh, seasonal ingredients and meticulous preparation techniques. Our new restaurant will boast a variety of different flavours ranging from our spicy Schezwan sauce to our mild Korean Kimchi.”

In a nutshell, Hawker is set to transform the dining experience at Belfast International Airport. Get ready to embark on a flavour-packed journey!

Mount Charles Secures Prestigious RBAI Catering Contract

Posted on: October 31st, 2023 by Stephen Mackie

Excitement is building at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI) as a dynamic new partnership with Mount Charles promises to redefine the dining experience for students and staff. In a move designed to elevate the well-being and nutrition of the RBAI community, the school is thrilled to introduce Urban Square Co—a fresh and vibrant culinary concept brought to life by Mount Charles.

Mount Charles, a renowned leader in catering and hospitality, has a strong history of delivering exceptional services and culinary experiences. We have a notable presence in prestigious schools like Friends School, Lisburn, and Wallace High School, demonstrating our expertise in meeting the educational community’s culinary needs. Additionally, we provide catering services to Regional Colleges and Maynooth University.

Chief Operating Officer, Jonathon Mallon stated: ‘Mount Charles is delighted to be providing catering services to the RBAI, assisting in providing a first-class experience for the students, staff, and visitors to this historical institution.’

Urban Square Co from Mount Charles, is set to become the go-to destination for wholesome, high-quality dining within the RBAI campus. Focused on providing nourishing dishes prepared with premium locally sourced ingredients, this exciting addition is sure to leave a lasting impression.

Urban Square Co offers a diverse menu that caters to every taste and preference. From convenient grab & go options to satisfying hot dishes, nourishing healthy choices, and delightful snacks, there’s something for everyone. Students and staff alike will find it easy to enjoy a satisfying and nutritious meal on campus.

Urban Square Co from Mount Charles understands the importance of providing students with food that fuels their minds and bodies. Our commitment to locally sourced ingredients ensures that every meal is made with care and dedication to quality. Whether it’s a quick bite between classes, a heartwarming lunch, or a well-deserved coffee break, Urban Square Co has something for everyone, as highlighted.

This partnership marks a significant step in RBAI’s journey toward enhancing the campus experience, and with Urban Square Co, the future looks brighter and more delicious than ever.

Next Stop: A Spotless Journey as Mount Charles wins cleaning contract with Translink!

Posted on: October 17th, 2023 by Stephen Mackie

We are delighted to share that Mount Charles Group has secured a significant contract with Translink Trains. The agreement entails providing comprehensive cleaning services for Translink’s extensive train fleet, marking a considerable stride in enhancing service quality and the overall customer experience for the 1.5 million weekly passengers relying on Translink’s services.

Over the next three years, we will have a dedicated team of 80 cleaning operatives working tirelessly round the clock, 363 days a year, ensuring cleanliness throughout Translink’s extensive train network in Northern Ireland. Stationed at eight regional hubs, our team’s services will also extend to Enterprise trains connecting Lanyon Station in Belfast to Dublin’s Connolly Station.

Our extensive experience in delivering top-tier cleaning services across various sectors, from healthcare to education and leisure, has equipped us well for this venture. In just the past year, we effectively maintained cleanliness in over 600 sites across Ireland.

This partnership signifies a significant contract for our cleaning division, presenting itself as a catalyst for business growth and job creation within Northern Ireland. It’s an exciting journey that holds immense potential for all parties involved.

Stacey McAlister, Operations Director at Mount Charles, expressed her anticipation for the collaboration with Translink, highlighting Translink’s critical role in connectivity across Northern Ireland and transport links to and from the Republic of Ireland. Stacey emphasized the synergies between Mount Charles and Translink, foreseeing an enhancement in service quality and customer experience for the 1.5 million weekly passengers utilizing Translink’s services.

“This is a significant contract for the cleaning division at Mount Charles, which we hope will act as a catalyst for business growth and job creation in Northern Ireland,” Stacey McAlister added.

John Allison, Fleet Presentation Manager at Translink, shares our dedication to providing appealing public transport options, focusing on the highest standards of comfort and cleanliness. He mentioned, “We look forward to working closely with Mount Charles to ensure our services and facilities enhance our overall customer experience.”

Together, Mount Charles and Translink embark on a promising journey, pledging improved service delivery, an enhanced passenger experience, and a positive economic influence on Northern Ireland. We invite you to join us on this thrilling venture as we contribute to a cleaner, more efficient, and delightful journey with Translink.

#Greatservice #Greatpeople #Greatfuture

Head Chef at Mount Charles Assumes New Position as Group Head of Food Innovation and Development

Posted on: June 7th, 2023 by Stephen Mackie

Trevor Conroy, former Head Chef at Mount Charles, has recently taken up a new position with the company as Group Head of Food Innovation and Development. Trevor has been with the company since September 2019 and since then has progressed in his role and gained invaluable experience in the Catering industry with team MC. 

We had a Q&A with him this month to find out a bit about his journey within the company, his past experience, and what his new job entails. Trevor was happy to share his thoughts and hopes for the future.

What was your previous job role in Mount Charles?
I was Head Chef and then Operations Development Manager.

When and why did you join the company?
I joined MC in September 2019. I saw the positive direction the company was going and was attracted to the Family orientated atmosphere that comes with working with MC.

How long have you worked for Mount Charles?
I have worked with the company for three and a half beautiful years.

Can you talk a bit about your previous job experience and what roles you have held? I have been involved in catering around food for nearly 20 years now. Once I gained my qualifications from Cathal Brugha Street the aim was to get out and soak in as much experience as possible. This has taken me to Australia and Scotland where I have worked for 9 years in total between the two countries. When I returned I wanted to dip my toes into the operational side of the industry and worked my way into a management and an operational role. My passion for food is always there but having the valuable experience of both sides of the industry will help going forward in my career.

What do you like most about working at Mount Charles?
The family feel to the company. The freedom to express and the pathways to progress within the company. 

Best MC workplace memory: Working with the Maynooth University team to help them execute an excellent night for the annual Alumni event.

What does your new role involve? Designing and costing menus, researching and producing food concepts and promotions, Working with units to pinpoint and improve or maintain their standards and GP, Composing general audits for catering sites within the business.

What is the most challenging aspect of your role? “The driving” as the new role involves taking on all the NI sites as well as the ROI sites. Being from Wicklow some journeys can exceed 9 hours. Plenty of time to listen to some podcasts.

Favourite part of the role? Meeting new MC team members. Prior to this I was solely based in ROI. I am enjoying putting faces to names and also seeing some of the variances in cuisine between NI and ROI.

Managing Director Barry Byrne commented: “We are extremely proud of Trevor Conroy who is an unbelievably talented Chef with many years of experience within the catering industry behind him. This was a well-deserved promotion for him. The role itself was a necessary response to the expansion of Mount Charles within NI and ROI as we begin to target new markets. I am confident that his experience and knowledge will be key in supporting the continued growth and strategic development of the company. ”

#greatpeople #greatfuture #greatservice

Mount Charles Celebrates its Most Exceptional Employees at The 2023 Trevi Awards

Posted on: March 20th, 2023 by Stephen Mackie

On Thursday 9th March this year, Mount Charles celebrated the achievements and outstanding contributions its employees have made to the success of the business over the past couple of years. This was the company’s 4th annual Trevi Awards Ceremony and was held at the Waterfront Hall, Belfast, in honour of Founder and Chairman Trevor Annon.

After a sensational drinks reception, a delicious gala dinner was served along with an evening of music and entertainment. The night was centred around celebrating the hard work, innovation, passion and determination of the employees across Mount Charles Group, Mount Charles Ireland, Craft, Hospitality Belfast, The Concept Group and Werkit.

There were eighteen different award categories ranging from Catering Manager of the Year to Mobile Cleaning Operative of the Year, and overall, 21 standout employees from across each of its divisions received golden trophies.

‘Not being able to choose more than one or two winners for each category was very difficult for us’ said Chief Operating Officer, Jonathon Mallon, so the Mount Charles team awarded certificates to 26 highly commended members of staff and teams. The Group also recognised those who have completed 10 or more years of service within the company, with 56 staff members receiving gold star trophies.

The awards were presented by Senior team members, including Nikki Looby, Stacey McAllister, Gavin Annon and Jonathon Mallon, as well as Managing Director Barry Byrne, Chairman Trevor Annon and his wife, Kate Annon.

Nicole Robson, Head of HSQE and winner of the Chairman’s Pride of Mount Charles Award shared her thoughts on the whole experience:

“After serving in the Army for 18 years, two years ago, almost to the day, I was working for the UK’s 3rd largest supermarket, and I was bored. I said out loud “This is boring, I need a challenge”. I was asked to apply for the role of HSQE Manager and sent in my CV. I did not get the job. At least at first but fate had other ideas and 3 weeks later I was collecting my laptop and work phone. Two years later I am now the Head of Health, Safety, Quality & Environment across the Mount Charles Group and I have yet to be bored! It is an absolute honour and a privilege to win this award and I am humbled by everyone’s gratitude and words of encouragement. I feel extremely proud and also very lucky to have the pleasure of calling Mount Charles and its people my extended family and my home away from home”.

The Group were also fortunate enough to be joined by special guests, Roy Walker and May McFetridge, two highly esteemed comedians who absolutely stole the show and had the whole room erupting with laughter.

The Award giving was then followed by an evening of dancing and music provided by the band ‘The Overnights’, who played superbly and put on a really great show.

Overall, it was an incredibly enjoyable night for all those who were in attendance across MC’s Six divisions. This was the first award ceremony the company has held since pre-covid-19, which made it even more special.

Founder and Chairman Trevor Annon commented:

‘It was a fabulous evening thoroughly enjoyed by 400 team members from all over Ireland. It was my privilege to host the evening and to present some of the awards, but the real pleasure for me was to see so many smiling faces and to chat with many colleagues during the evening. Gale force winds and blistering snow did not dampen spirits, and we all enjoyed a fabulous meal delivered by our sister company, Hospitality Belfast. At last we can finally consign Covid to the history books and look forward to an exciting future which will open up opportunities for everyone. Let’s now look forward to 2024 Trevi Awards.’

Mount Charles Wins Multimillion-Pound ROI University Cleaning Contract

Posted on: January 4th, 2023 by Stephen Mackie

Mattie O’Grady Head of Cleaning Mount Charles ROI, Fiona O’Connor Estates Department Administrator SETU, and David Buckley Eastate Manager SETU Carlow with members for the cleaning staff who received their certificates at SETU Carlow.

Award-winning FM support services firm Mount Charles has been awarded a multimillion-pound, three-year contract by Ireland’s South East Technological University (SETU) at sites in Munster and Leinster.

The contract worth €2.16 million includes portering and cleaning services at the Main Carlow Campus, South Sports Campus, and Wexford Campus (Summerhill Campus and the Art and Design Campus) including all buildings, sports pitches and stands, car parks and recreational areas.

With well over 50 years experience in higher education, research, innovation, and stakeholder collaboration, SETU has evolved out of the Institutes of Technology at Waterford and Carlow.

This contract is a huge win for the Mount Charles team as the regional university houses more than 18,000 students and employs at least 1,500 staff campuses across the south-east of the Republic of Ireland in Carlow, Wexford, Waterford, Wicklow, and Kilkenny. But it doesn’t stop there, it also has huge ambitions to grow the student and staff numbers by 2032 to 25,000 students and 2,000 staff by 2032.

Gavin Annon, Mount Charles’s sales and marketing director, shared his thoughts on the win: “This contract further cements Mount Charles’s reputation as a leading service provider in ROI, providing soft services in a sustainable manner which brings long term benefits to both parties. We very much look forward to working with the team at SETU.”

#GREATSERVICE #GREATPEOPLE #GREATFUTURE

Santa’s Top 6 Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

Posted on: December 22nd, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

As a company, we pride ourselves on being a responsible business committed to managing our environmental impact and striving towards sustainability. While we all love a spick and span, great smelling business, particularly at Christmas time, we also want to avoid harsh irritant and chemicals in the products we’re using. Opting for greener and more natural cleaning solutions can help you to integrate eco-friendly products into your routine.

So if you’re interested in making your business a healthier place this season while helping out the planet at the same time, see below our top seven recommended eco-friendly hygiene products used by us. We hope that they inspire you to use greener products.

1.PURELL brand Healthy Soap with Clean release technology

First up we have PURELL brand Healthy Soap with Clean release technology. This product was formulated with the planet in mind. It is the first soap sold in the B2B market in the U.S. to become Cradle to Cradle Certified™ Gold. It also has earned the highest material health rating possible. It’s remarkably mild formulations are also gentle on skin, contain no antibacterial ingredients* and remove over 99% of dirt and germs.

2. PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer Fragrance Free Gel

This product is a Green-certified, fragrance-free gel hand sanitizer , and is perfect for professional environments. It kills 99.99 percent of most common germs that may cause illness, has a strength twice the strength of other national brands and best of all, it is made with natural renewable ethanol.

This sanitizer also offers “Energy-on-the-refill” technology, which means that every refill has a built-in energy source, designed to last as long as the refill. Once the product is finished, the refill is easily recycled.

Plus, it has a clinically proven formulation to maintain healthy skin as well as being dye and fragrance free. An all-round great product for your business.

3.North Shore by Northwood Washroom Dispensers

Our consumable wiping products come from Northwood who collect over 100,000 tonnes a year within the UK to recycle, and 79% of all NS paper sales are recycled paper and FSC certified products.

Designed to meet the highest demands of the modern washroom, North Shore brings together a sophisticated and contemporary aesthetic, supreme functionality and hygiene to deliver market leading performance. These dispenser products have a full green loop with them. They are highly durable, long-lasting, are drain-friendly, made from strong ABS plastic and are zero waste. Not to mention they’re easy to install. What more could you want?

The orbit toilet dispenser is a great product to include in your business as they dispense up to 5,000 sheets, are zero waste and are translucent so you can see when they’re running out. The Mechanical Hands-Free Roll Towel Dispenser is a high-capacity dispenser that reduces the need for extra maintenance, making it ideal for high footfall areas. The single sheet presentation means that you only touch what you use, delivering exceptional hygiene performance and of course reducing waste. Rolls are kept locked, clean and protected until required.

Plus the dispensers are available in three colours, whilst the stylish flat sheet presentation also makes for a premium washroom experience. Your business needs these for sure!

4.PURELL® Multi Surface Disinfectant Citrus Scent

At this point you’ve probably noticed we’re very passionate about GOJO PURELL products. And the reason for this is that GOJO is the first company to publicly commit to reducing their chemical footprint by 50 percent in the next five years. No other company in the world has made such a strong declaration to advance sustainable chemistry. GOJO subscribes to The Green Chemistry Commerce Council, is a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and supports the goals of the organization.

This Multi Surface Disinfectant Citrus Scent works perfectly on a variety of hard and soft surfaces throughout your building, kills 99.9% of germs and bacteria and kills the Coronavirus in 30 seconds. There are also no harsh chemicals or fumes and no water rinse is required on food prep surfaces. Best of all, it was awarded the U.S. EPA Design for the Environment certification (DFE).

A perfect product for keeping your staff safe and virus-free.

5.PURELL® Professional Surface Disinfecting Wipes

Another environmentally friendly product, PURELL® Professional Surface Disinfecting Wipes are fantastic for using in large gathering areas because they’re simply one-step surface disinfecting wipes with a really nice fresh citrus scent.

The cleaning chemicals used in these wipes are dispensed using an automatic dilution control system to minimize waste and maximize cleaning efficiency. They also kill the human coronavirus (COVID-19) in 30 seconds and Kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria including cold & flu, E. coli and Strep. There is no rinse required on food-contact surfaces, and best of all, there are no harsh chemicals used, so you won’t smell any bad odors.

You don’t even have to wash your hands after use and they’re multi-surface compatible. Great stuff!

6.PROVON® Citrus Ginger Foam Hand & Showerwash

This fantastic all-in-one body wash, shampoo and hand soap offers a refreshing blend of citrus and ginger extracts. It is enriched with moisturizers, natural extracts, skin conditioners and it is an ECOLOGO® Certified and USDA biobased product.

The pump is removable for easier recycling while the SANITARY SEALED™ refill helps prevent contamination. So ideal for your bathrooms and toilets.

All of the eco-friendly cleaning products listed above are included because of their sustainable features such as natural ingredients, shipping without plastic, and because they do such a great job at quickly and easily cleaning your business without using harsh chemicals.

It is the reason we are advancing our 2022 Sustainable Value Strategies and Goals to make even greater progress by 2023/4. Partnering with The Concept Group and Northwood, together we strive to incorporate sustainability thinking into all that we do.

MC’s Top 10 Tips for Planning the Perfect Festive Event

Posted on: December 13th, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

Is it that time of year again already? Ho Ho Holy Moly!

With Christmas and New Year fast approaching, you may find yourself panicking and need some help planning your ideal festive party for colleagues, which can be both stressful and challenging. When it comes to Christmas parties, expectations are high.

That’s why we are here to help. Mount Charles are experts in event planning. We have hosted a full range of large-scale events, so you’re in great hands. We have put together our top tips to make sure your Christmas event is one to remember.

This event planning checklist provided by our events team guides you through the process, ensuring you have covered all the essentials and your event runs as smoothly as possible, as well as being an enjoyable time for all!

  1. Plan Well In Advance

First and foremost, when running any event, planning early is key. We would recommend to start planning as far in advance as you possibly can as it will allow you time to find the best venue, buy you time to deal with mishaps, and give guests time to make necessary arrangements, such as booking time off to attend. Planning a Christmas party should begin in autumn so you have time to secure a venue and book vendors before their schedules fill up.

Planning early will also allow you to find the right decorations for your theme (if you’re having one) and find an ideal caterer; like Mount Charles for example. Most importantly, it will make the process a bit more stress-free and less nerve wracking.

Last-minute party planning is a recipe for disaster, so don’t delay, get ahead while you can.

  1. Choose Your Date

This one goes without saying. You’ll need a date that suits your attendees, so you should propose some dates that they can choose from. Maybe send a poll or ask them to fill out a survey using Survey Monkey, so they can pick their preferred date. This will make the process much smoother. Choosing an earlier date gets you ahead of the game and means you’ll have a broader range of venues to choose from.

If you’re running a company event, send some dates among key decision-makers within the company. It is also important to think about what works best for your company. You should also remember, while the weekend is more popular, availability will be limited at Christmas time and prices will be higher, so consider this. Venues are usually booked up well in advance, especially in busy towns and cities like Belfast.

We work with venues across the island of Ireland and can suggest suitable venues based on your organisations requirements

  1. Set Your Budget

If you’re planning on running a company event, you’ll mostly like have a restrictive budget, but

even if your budget is restrictive, it doesn’t mean guests can’t have a great time. It just means you’ll need to prioritise some aspects of the event over others. You’d be surprised how much money you can save by doing a bit of research – something Mount Charles are experts at.

Make sure you include an itemised list of what the budget will and will not include. This will keep you right and will ensure there is no confusion with your boss or colleagues.

  1. Choose Your Venue

Sourcing the right venue in any event is key. You’ll need a venue that’s suitable for your activity and a suitable space for the number of attendees. It should also be easily accessible for them with good transport connections. Again the earlier you book, the better the chances of getting one of the more ideal or popular venues.

Need a stage for live music? A good bit of space for a dance floor? As part of our event services here at Mount Charles, we can help you to find the perfect location for your Christmas party. Our clients have some of the best venues in the country that we would gladly put you in touch with.

If you’re hosting a New Year or Christmas party, we would advise you to choose a location with charm to leave a long-lasting impact on your guests. A space that will channel the magic and beauty of the Christmas spirit.

  1. Pick a Good Theme

When it comes to your festive party, you’ll need a good theme. You could go for a Winter Wonderland theme, Christmas around the world, or a Christmas movie theme. It can even be something simple and sparkly. Just let your imagination run free.

If you are having a theme though, it’s important this is integrated throughout every aspect, from guest invitations to the decorations and most likely the entertainment as well. We have contacts in event styling and can gladly provide best in class companies we work alongside.

  1. Choose Your Food and Drinks

Ok now we’re talking! We’re very serious when it comes getting our guests Fed & Watered (MC Pun intended). Food and drink is a key part of any event, and usually either a meal or buffet is expected at a Christmas or New Year party. Remember to plan for Vegetarian, Vegan or special dietary requirements in advance. And drinks will be expected… of course! We recommend having a drinks reception. It’ll make your guests feel welcome and will likely set the tone for the rest of the party. You could offer a bottle of champagne, wine, prosecco, or even a beer or cocktail.

We have expertise in catering across a range of budgets and requirements and can provide bespoke menus based on your ideal event.

  1. Music and Entertainment

Aha, here’s where the real party starts!

I think we can all agree that some form of music and entertainment at a festive event is essential. There are lots of options you can choose from including a comedian, karaoke, a band or a DJ, which will encourage people to dance later on in the night.

Depending on your theme you could have something a little different and include games and activities. You could do a Christmas treasure hunt, or Christmas Bingo (An MC staff favourite).

  1. Speeches and Awards

For lots of companies, your Christmas party may be an ideal time to present any awards and thank staff collectively. You’ll need to organise certificates, award blocks or prizes in advance.

One thing to keep in mind is to plan the timings of your speeches in advance to ensure that you have enough time allocated to this. You’ll need to have a running order or schedule in place to make sure everyone who’s going to be speaking knows when they’ll be hitting the stage next. A good idea is to do a practice run though before the event. Though we can appreciate not everyone has time for this with it being a very busy time of year.

  1. Organise Transportation

If your chosen venue is not local to your attendees, then it is a good idea to have transport organised to and from the event. You could book and minibus or a coach, or simply book a couple of taxis in advance depending on the requirements.

  1. Invitations

Last but certainly not least, we don’t want you to forget about your invitations. Regardless if this comes in the form of a calendar invite, an email or a beautifully designed invitation, you must remember to send these well ahead of your event.

It is important that all the information regarding timings, locations, transport and themes is added to your invitation. It’s good to have it all in one place so your guests can refer back this. With it being a hectic time for people, they’ll have lots of other festivities going on so they’ll need a good reminder.

And that just about covers it. We hope you found the above guide useful, and if you need any help at all planning your Christmas or New Year event, or any event at all, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team below. We are more than happy to help.

Call us on:

Belfast Office
+44 (0) 28 9032 0070

Dublin Office
+353 (0)1 431 1383

Or Email:

info@mountcharles.com

Click here for more information about Mount Charles Events.

Mount Charles Continues Expanding Within the Irish Market

Posted on: December 6th, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

This year has been quite a successful one for the leading business support solutions, Mount Charles, as the company has seen a huge growth in the number of contract wins in the Republic of Ireland. This includes over €1 million in new public sector cleaning contracts won from the company’s Dublin base.

Since establishing a Dublin presence four years ago, Mount Charles has accumulated more than €30 million of new contracts, successfully coinciding with the company’s implementation of ambitious sustainability projects and initiatives.

The latest Dublin-based public-sector contracts run for three years and include the Chief State Solicitor’s Office (CSSO), which provides litigation, advisory and conveyancing services to government departments and agencies; the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC); the National Shared Services Offices (NSSO), a statutory civil service office; and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The news of the ROI growth has quickly spread throughout the fast-growing, family-owned company and has been well received and supported by all. Mount Charles will without a doubt fulfil its pledge to its client of providing a top-class service, as it has done and will continue to do with all its clients.

The company has more than 33 years’ experience in the delivery of vital facilities management services to a range of customers within both the public and private sectors.

Sales & Marketing Director, Gavin Annon was more than please with the company expansion, commenting on the new contract wins. He stated “We’re pleased to be working with these high-profile agencies and are proud that over 2,000 of their staff members will be benefiting from our bespoke cleaning services. The Republic of Ireland marketplace remains a key target for us and continuing to grow our market share from our Dublin base is a key priority.”

He further stated, “The successful introduction and upgrade of our internal and operational systems has contributed to our success by revitalising our service offering and enhancing reporting and oversight of our service performance. By developing our product and harnessing the latest technology we can measure and reduce our environmental impact. We have also focused on strategic talent acquisition and are in a very strong position to capitalise on the growth of our operations in Ireland.”

This news of the company’s growth in Irish market just adds to its ongoing success after it won two accolades at the Facilities Management Awards earlier in the year, receiving the Innovation in Technology & Systems Award as well as The FM Workspace Transformation Award.

#GreatService #GreatPeople #GreatFuture

Mount Charles is Awarded Shiny New NI Water Cleaning Contract

Posted on: November 30th, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

Mount Charles celebrates as it receives an award-winning cleaning services deal with NI Water.

Northern Ireland Water, a trademark of Northern Ireland Water Ltd, is a government-owned company that was set up in 2007 to provide all the water and wastewater services in Northern Ireland. NI Water supplies 560 million litres of clean water a day for almost 1.8 million people as well as treating 320 million litres of wastewater daily. Mount Charles promises that all its sites will receive a world-class service, provided by the Mount Charles Cleaning Team.

The MC team will provide cleaning services at around 29 of Northern Ireland Water’s sites, including their offices, depots, workshops, water/wastewater treatment works and publicly accessible sites.

Gavin Annon, Sales and Marketing Director at Mount Charles met with the team at NI and shared his thoughts on the win: “We are delighted to be awarded this business by NI Water and are committed to delivering social value in this contract, particularly in the areas of work progression and skills development, health and well-being and equality, diversity and inclusion.”

Ronan Larkin, Director of Finance, Regulation & Commercial at NI Water has warmly welcomed Mount Charles on board stating, “As we continue to adopt the new public procurement policy – scoring social value within public awarded contracts, NI Water is fully committed to working with suppliers to deliver their social value promises.”

Ronan added, “Mount Charles, like many other suppliers, have an amazing opportunity to embrace social value and make a lasting impact in the communities they operate and serve in and I look forward to the many initiatives that are delivered as part of this significant step change in public procurement.”

Mount Charles are very proud and excited to be working with this brand-new client. As a business, we are committed to supporting NI Water and all its sites.

#Greatservice #Greatpeople #Greatfuture

Mount Charles Win Hyster-Yale Catering Contract

Posted on: November 30th, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

Mount Charles has won a catering services contract with Hyster-Yale Materials Handling, Inc, a leading, globally integrated full-line lift truck manufacturer.

The company has over 90 years of experience, with its success being the result of focusing on its clients’ needs and delivering tough lift trucks that move products efficiently and elevate the potential of its partners. With lifting capacities ranging from 2,000 to 105,000 pounds, Hyster lift trucks combine award-winning designs, industrial-strength components and high-tech manufacturing to deliver versatile and dependable solutions.

The deal will see #TeamMC provide food and beverage services to the factory’s 770 manufacturing staff on site. The staff there work in two shift patterns from 8.00am to 8.00pm with early closure on a Friday. In addition, there are 167 office staff operating on a hybrid working pattern where they are on-site two or three days per week. So the installation of ‘The Kitchen’ is a fantastic addition and will really support the staff during their shifts.

Mount Charles has been fostering strong relationships and catering partnerships with clients for years, providing the best possible service, so we are now extremely proud and excited to be working with this brand-new client. As a business, we are committed to supporting Hyster Yale and its staff.

We’ve just launched a new in-house restaurant within the factory. The signage and graphics were installed by Design + Display, our partners who we have been working with for years. ‘The Kitchen’, which is also installed in our Moy Park sites and a few others has a clean, contemporary look and feel with a relaxed and comfortable setting.

Some of our offerings include a range of drinks, and affordable hot meals during Breakfast, lunch and dinner service, served five days a week. Breakfast is a range of freshly baked pastries & Scones, Jambon, Sausage Rolls, Breakfast Baps as well as Granola Bars and Porridge. A range of hearty homemade meals such as stew, pies, lasagne and curries will be served at lunch and dinner, with Thursday being ‘fry day’. The late afternoon snack offering is pastries and sausage rolls as well as a made-to-order sandwich bar offering toasties and paninis.

Our marketing team visited the factory and were thrilled to meet the team and take some photographs of the finished design. As with all our clients, we highly value Hyster-Yale and will continue to provide a top-class service as we look forward to a bright future together.

Chris Annon, Sales Business Development Manager has shared his thoughts on the partnership:

“On first meeting with our contacts in Hyster it was very clear that MCG and Hyster have the same ethos within business, and now that we have been operating the contract this is nothing close to the truth. Hyster management and staff have all embraced MCG and we enjoy serving them daily. We look forward to a bright and successful future ahead.”

#Greatservice #Greatpeople #Greatfuture

The Great Mount Charles Bake Off 2022

Posted on: November 24th, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

Who were crowned the champions at the Great Mount Charles Bake Off 2022?

Read on to find out…

On Wednesday 23rd November 2022, our company Headquarters at Annon House was filled with smiles, laughter and the smell of delicious, sweet treats as we held our annual Great Mount Charles Bake Off.

We asked our colleagues to get involved in this company-wide challenge and bake something spectacular this year. We challenged them to create their ultimate showstoppers, and it’s safe to say they didn’t disappoint.

From Christmas cakes, cupcakes and brownies to rice crispy mountains, blondies and a range of festive traybakes, the judges were truly blown away by the entries. Every single showstopper was impressive and we saw fantastic engagement across our departments and wider catering sites.

The office canteen was covered in crumbs as we had a slightly messy, but super fun cake party on the top floor of Annon House at 3pm. Some of the creations we saw were absolutely beautiful and great-tasting. It was a really enjoyable afternoon for all.

Mount Charles would like to offer a massive thank you to everyone who took part and Congratulations to all the wonderful well-deserved winners below.

This year saw Edna Armstrong, three-time Star Baker for the past three years in a row, hand over the crown to our 2022 baking Queen Zhana Robinson. However, it was a very close call as Edna came in at a close second. Both contestants were triumphant as they received their prizes with smiles and gratitude.

The Department of Health team absolutely blew us away with their complete array of festive sweet treats and bakes along with the Belfast International Airport team, who created a spectacular BIA Northern Quarter-themed cake.

Annon House Winners:
1st Place – Zhana Robinson
2nd Place – Edna Armstrong

Remote Entry Winners:
1st place – DOH Team – Jill, Bianca, Renata, Paul
2nd place – Belfast International Airport – Megan Armstrong and Matthew Wheatley

Have a look at all our entries below:

#Greatservice #Greatpeople #Greatfuture

Trevor and Gavin Annon Place in the Family Business Top 100

Posted on: November 7th, 2022 by Aisling Magee

Trevor Annon, the Founder and Chairman of Mount Charles has placed in the Family Business Top 100, along with Gavin Annon, Sales & Marketing Director at Mount Charles.

The inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Both Trevor and Gavin have been recognised as inspirational leaders who have demonstrated their collective importance to our national economy with passion, drive and determination.

Trevor has been highly praised for his inspirational and unique management style, the work hard, play hard ethos he cultivates and the encouragement and belief he shows in each team member. This is what makes working for Mount Charles special. He is highly respected within the business by all his team members and many consider him not only a boss and mentor but a great friend.

Family Business Top 100 stated that It’s ‘Due to Trevor’s strategic vision and leadership, that Mount Charles continues to be a leader in its industry’. Trevor inspires all those around him and is committed to building upon his foundations with determination underpinned with core family values.

Throughout his career, especially during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, Trevor has been encouraged and inspired by two particular lines of poetry from his favourite poet, Seamus Heaney, “If we can winter this one out, we can summer anywhere.”

Gavin, who from a young age was very much involved in the family business, aided his father Trevor in making the business a success. He along with his siblings worked at weekends in some of the very first Mount Charles catering partnerships. Gavin pursued his career further within the business and is now the Sales and Marketing Director where his passion to achieve greater environmental and sustainable development of services is now a key priority within the business.

Gavin has not only made a huge impact on the business but engages more broadly in the wider family business community and is always happy to share his journey while helping his peers along the way. The Family Business Top 100 has described him as ‘Professional, driven and hugely impactful.’

Gavin Annon

Paul Andrews, Founder and CEO of Family Business United and Global Family Business Champion acknowledges that, “Family businesses are the backbone of the UK economy and often the unsung heroes too.  Family firms are significant contributors to the economy in terms of jobs provided, income generated and wealth created and behind each family firm are individuals driving them, making decisions and looking to the future.  Family firms take the long-term view and invest in their businesses and the communities in which they operate and we wanted to create the Family Business Top 100 to recognise outstanding individuals within these organisations and to shine a light on the people that are making a difference within the business and more broadly too.”

“What better way to celebrate the vibrancy of a sector than to highlight the people within family businesses, leading from the front, fulfilling a role as a steward for future generations, those developing sustainable practices and acting as innovators and agents of change, the next generation embarking on key initiatives that will drive the next stage in the family business journey and those that have delivered a lifetime of service and commitment to the family business.  Each and every one of them deserves to be recognised and celebrated. It is these individuals and the family firms they are associated with that is at the very heart of what we do – championing family firms across the whole of the UK and beyond.”

“The past few years have not been easy and pulling the Family Business Top 100 together has provided us all with the opportunity to celebrate the contribution of family firms and the significant impact that individuals within them make each and every day.  Family business matters and we are proud to celebrate and showcase 100 individuals who are truly deserving of their place in the inaugural report.  Congratulations to each and every one of them and their contribution to an exceptional body of family business talent,” concludes Paul.

Mount Charles Play Their Part In Industry-Led Careers Inspiration Events

Posted on: April 11th, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

 

Northern Ireland’s business community is coming together to support the delivery of industry-led careers inspiration events across the province, engaging almost 7,500 Year 9 pupils in June 2022.

4C UR Future LIVE is an innovative and fast-paced event that uses skills games and work-based challenges, designed and delivered in collaboration with local employers, to help young people get an insight into the future world of work.

The initiative, which aims to help every participant make more informed education and career choices, is the brainchild of 4C UR Future’s Founder, Rose Mary Stalker. Following a successful pilot in June 2019, the social enterprise is taking the show on the road this year, delivering an at-scale pilot of one event in every council area in June.

Managing Director of 4C UR Future, Rachel Doherty, acknowledges the support of the local business community in enabling the events to scale:

“Our work would not be possible without the support of our member companies, who recognise the significant opportunities that come from working together collaboratively, and at-scale, to tackle systemic problems; helping our young people discover their own attributes, strengths, and interests, and exploring how these might align with their future opportunities.”

“The careers landscape has become increasingly complex for young people and parents to navigate, with new in-demand skills, new types of jobs, and entirely new sectors emerging, resulting in major bottlenecks in the skills pipeline; inhibiting our local businesses from growing.”

“By working across all of the key employment sectors in Northern Ireland, 4C UR Future leverage and mobilise the skills and industry expertise available on our doorstep.”

The LIVE events are funded and resourced by the Northern Ireland business community and are hosted with support from ten councils. The events are free to schools, including free transport, which is being supported by Translink.

Charlotte Richardson, PR Manager at Translink, said:

“We’re delighted to be able to support this fantastic series of events, which are taking place across Northern Ireland; investing in our young people and building confidence, skills, and knowledge to help them identify the many opportunities and the wide variety of career paths and industries open to them. Access to events like this is vital to the next generation and to the workforce of the future and we’re proud to be a member of 4C UR Future.”

4C UR Future member companies represent all of the key employment sectors in Northern Ireland, with local success story Mount Charles Group, as well as the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS), on board to support the delivery of the events across the province.

Dr Tracey McCabe, Director of Group Human Resources, said:

“Mount Charles is delighted to be part of this initiative. Inspiring young people to help them choose their future career path is empowering for us as a people-focussed organisation, and engaging with Northern Ireland’s future talent early in their life journey can open up so many more opportunities for them.”

Lyndsey Irwin, NICS Head of Communications, Marketing and Outreach – Talent Management Division, added:

“The Civil Service is delighted to support the 4C UR Future initiative and events, which are an innovative, engaging – and most of all – a fun way to empower young people, helping them to recognise and develop their strengths and skills, and showing them how these can be applied in the world of work.”

“Our involvement with 4C UR Future also provides us with an opportunity to showcase the huge range of work undertaken by civil servants, and to open the eyes of young people to the possibility of a career where they can make a real difference to the lives of people here.”

It’s not too late for local businesses to get involved! For more information on 4C UR Future, go to: www.4curfuture.com, or email info@4curfuture.com.

Double win for Mount Charles at the Facilities Management Awards, Ireland

Posted on: April 8th, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

Mount Charles is celebrating winning two awards at the Facilities Management Awards 2022, which took place on Thursday, March 24th, at The Radisson Blu Hotel, Golden Lane, Dublin.

The Innovation in Technology & Systems Award – End Users and The FM Workspace Transformation Award was awarded to Mount Charles who has over 33 years’ experience in the delivery of vital facilities management services to a diverse range of customers within both the public and private sectors.

The FM Awards programme recognises the excellent work carried out by Ireland’s facility and property management teams and companies and businesses from all over Ireland came together in Dublin, to collaborate and showcase their achievements.

Gavin Annon, Sales and Marketing Director of Mount Charles said: “On behalf of the entire team, I am enormously proud to receive both The FM Workspace Transformation Award – In-house and the Innovation in Technology & Systems Award.

“These awards are a benchmark for excellence and recognise the successful implementation of our Technology Transformation Programme within an astounding 15-month timeframe, less than 50 per cent of the time originally projected.

“The introduction and upgrade of our internal and operational systems has contributed to the success, growth and profitability of the company bringing Mount Charles to the forefront of innovation, revitalising our service offering and enhancing reporting and oversight of our service performance.

“This has allowed us to provide a tailored dashboard for our customers, bespoke to their service, requirements, and the information that they want to see and has facilitated additional contract wins in NI and ROI, all whilst maintaining our family instilled values, core people focus and unique support service dynamics.”

Mount Charles Utilises Robotics With Catering Services

Posted on: January 18th, 2022 by Stephen Mackie

The growth in use of robotics in the recent past has been largely seen in our healthcare and cleaning services, however the technology available with regards to catering services has not sat idle recently.

Smart technology within catering services has previously been seen in the likes of high-tech ovens, dishwashers and other kitchen gadgets. However, Mount Charles will now be taking things further with the implementation of unmanned retail stores in remote catering sites for example. As well as a more sophisticated version of micro-markets including elements of robotic technology. These options will allow clients to provide a catering service in challenging circumstances following the pandemic with new patterns of footfall in the office as a result of trends such as home and hybrid working.

Mount Charles will of course remain a ‘people business’ first and foremost, however the technology will allow the organisation to provide options for all of the marketplace depending on the niche needs of clients on an individual basis. From Mount Charles’s perspective, the technology allows the business to operate a 24/7 facility on what was perhaps an otherwise uneconomic catering site. The demand for our vending services has exploded post pandemic, so it’s fitting to now offer a more sophisticated version of vending in the traditional sense. These new self-serve units provide everything from hot and cold drinks to regenerated meals and snacks depending on what the client and team members on site are interested in.

If you would like to hear more about our range of robotic driven services please contact info@mountcharles.com

Mount Charles Sister Company CRAFT Event Co Announces National Museums Catering Contract

Posted on: December 14th, 2021 by Stephen Mackie

Mount Charles Group’s brand new sister company CRAFT Event Co announces its first major catering contract win with a three-year partnership with National Museums NI.

CRAFT Event Co has vast previous experience in bespoke weddings, tailored events and café solutions. With regards to National Museums, the team will provide the food and beverage offering at The Ulster Museum, Ulster Folk Museum and Ulster Transport Museum.

Included in the remit of the partnership will be Ulster Museum’s Wynn & Pym restaurant, the quaint Ballycultra Tearooms at Ulster Folk Museum and Cultra Manor, the beautiful dedicated hospitality venue. Planning is currently taking place for expansion of the catering offering at The Ulster Transport Museum.

Head of Experience and Enterprise at National Museums NI, Brona Moffett said: “We look forward to working with Craft Event Co to continually enhance our hospitality offering. The creativity and expertise of its team will also allow us to transform weddings and corporate events in our stunning spaces.”

Director of CRAFT Event Co, Jamie Henderson added: “We’re excited to be working to create a unique hospitality offering that will transform the way visitors enjoy food and drink at three of the province’s best-known museums.”

“Food provenance will be at the centre of our service delivery, offering a taste of Northern Ireland to local visitors and also those who come from further afield. We will reflect the uniqueness and warmth of the Northern Irish welcome, ensuring that the food offering is a key part of the overall museum experience.”

“The skillset of our team will transform National Museums NI’s events offering too by introducing a high-quality dining experience that will appeal to weddings and corporate events too. All of us at Craft Event Co. look forward to welcoming people to each of the museums over the coming weeks.”

Gavin Annon, Director of Sales & Marketing, said: “Our sister company Craft Event Co is the perfect fit for National Museums NI. It has built a strong reputation across Northern Ireland thanks to its commitment to customer service and hygiene standards, quality in food and creativity.”

We look forward to developing our relationship with National Museums Northern Ireland and providing an excellent service to all of our customers across the venues. For more information on our catering services or to speak to a team member please get in touch.

Three individuals pictured outside Ulster Museum, one is a chef holding a dish of food

From Left to Right: Brona Moffet (Head of Experience and Enterprise at National Museums NI), Sean McCann (Chef & Director at CRAFT Event Co), Gavin Annon (Director of Sales & Marketing at Mount Charles Group).

Trevor Annon receives Lifetime Achievement Award

Posted on: October 25th, 2021 by Stephen Mackie

The founder and chairman of leading business support solutions company, Mount Charles has been recognised with a lifetime achievement award at the prestigious Belfast Chamber Awards.  The awards seek to reward all areas of business in all sectors, in Belfast and took place on Friday 22nd October 2021, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Shaw’s Bridge.  Trevor was chosen by the judging panel for his celebrated contribution to business life in Northern Ireland.

An EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist in 2017, Trevor has collected numerous awards on behalf of his company and has been the recipient of an Outstanding Contribution award at the 2016 Janus Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, at the Aer Lingus Take Off Foundation Business Awards. Mount Charles Group, Northern Ireland’s largest independent catering and business support services provider, was founded by Trevor in 1988, and has since established itself as the leader in contract and retail catering, cleaning, vending and security services.

Under his guidance Mount Charles currently employs 2,500 team members, services over 400 clients across the UK and Ireland, working with companies such as Down Royal Racecourse, Belfast International Airport, Ulster Rugby, ICC Belfast, RTE, Griffith College, Maynooth University, Ordinance Survey Ireland, Abbey Theatre and Custom House in Dublin.

Citing Trevor’s achievements Simon Hamilton, Chief Executive of Belfast Chamber said: “His story is one, quite simply, of three decades of business success.  “Mount Charles is an innovator developing new products, services and brands that supports some of the biggest and best-known businesses, sporting venues educational facilities and healthcare organisations in Northern Ireland and further afield.”

Mount Charles currently sources approximately 85% of its food from NI suppliers, attributing to a contribution of £50 million per annum to the NI economy. The company has recently announced a new addition to its portfolio of service offerings, Craft Event Co., which will specialise in weddings and corporate functions

Upon receipt of his award, Trevor Annon said: “To be honoured by my hometown Chamber is a wonderful achievement and it reflects the results of 33 years of hard work.  “The Chamber President, Michael Stewart, keeps reminding me of a comment I made whilst addressing 500 local catering students – ‘at age 18 the only thing Trevor wanted to do was to join the police, but he was half an inch short of the then regulation height. So, he became a Caterer by default. Would Mount Charles have been created if he had been half an inch taller?’.”

As well as building his family business, Trevor has also served as Chair of the crime fighting charity Crimestoppers for 12 years, was an independent Board member of the Irish Football Association and until recently was the Chair of the National Football Stadium in Belfast where he spearheaded the development their new world class stadium.

In closing his speech Trevor mentioned a framed gift he had received from his wife on his last birthday. It contained two lines of poetry from their favourite poet, which reflected the journey Trevor and many other entrepreneurs have endured through the pandemic. Quoting Seamus Heaney, he concluded, “If we can winter this one out, we can summer anywhere.”

Trevor Annon wins Lifetime Achievement Award with Belfast Chamber

Trevor Annon wins Lifetime Achievement Award with Belfast Chamber

Mount Charles Team Members Join Flossie & The Beach Cleaners For Eco Day

Posted on: October 12th, 2021 by Stephen Mackie

Mount Charles team members joined Flossie and The Beach Cleaners on Sandymount Strand in South Dublin last week to launch the organisation’s sustainability ambitions for 2021. The session included an eco-friendly workshop providing insight to the group on the impact of human waste and microplastics on the local environment.  The group was made up of key team members involved in our ongoing sustainability campaign including Head of Operations, Stacey McCallister who has been working with our clients to provide sustainable cleaning across Ireland.

A walk of the beach followed the workshop, with team removing any visible plastics and waste materials. The session will be one of many activities involved in the ongoing company-wide sustainability initiative for 2021 as part of Mount Charles’s commitment to being an environmentally aware facilities management provider.

More information on our cleaning services can be found here.

 

Mount Charles team members stand in a line on Sandymount Beach in Dublin with material bags of litter in front of the group

Mount Charles Team Members Finish Session With Flossie & The Beach Cleaners at Sandymount Strand, Dublin.

It’s BBQ Season At Mount Charles

Posted on: June 24th, 2021 by Stephen Mackie
Last week the Mount Charles Catering team in Dublin hosted two BBQ’s in partnership with our clients LauraLynn Children’s Hospice and Glanbia Cheese EU. These BBQ events were to reward client’s team members for their hard work and efforts during the pandemic. Both days were a massive success with excellent food from our catering team and lots of laughter all round. We look forward to continuing this trend with more clients in both NI and ROI throughout the rest of summer.
A big well done from Senior Management to all involved, see footage from: LauraLynn & Glanbia Cheese EU
Laura Lynn Staff Team Members Pose For Group Photo In Colourful Garden
Team Members From LauraLynn Children’s Hospice Dublin
Glanbia Cheese EU team members eating BBQ items
Team Members From Glanbia Cheese EU

Pride With #TeamMC

Posted on: June 21st, 2021 by Stephen Mackie

Behind every good business thriving with equality is a family full of people who are all unique. Our greatest success is our family culture, our family is about daring to be different. When our family unite, we build a culture and business that has Great People, Great Service, Great Future.

bright colourful collection of hand prints to emphasise diversity at Mount Charles

At Team MC, we have a family who are not all the same. We are proud to be different, we are proud to be unique, those are some of our greatest strengths. At Mount Charles we tell our team to bring their whole self to work. We encourage diversity, we encourage our team to dare, to be different, as this is what makes Team MC creative and bold. One team, one family, one masterpiece that creates a different magic.

Summer BBQ For The Glanbia Cheese EU Team

Posted on: June 21st, 2021 by Stephen Mackie
We were delighted to assist our client Glanbia Cheese with a Summer BBQ at their Portlaoise site last week. The aim of the event was to reward all of the Glanbia team members for their hard work and efforts recently with a DJ, ice cream truck and branded balloon arches to mark the occasion. The event was a massive success with smiles all round after what has been a very challenging time for everybody throughout the pandemic.
Our Ireland catering team look forward to continuing to work alongside Glanbia Senior Management to maximise on-site engagement and interest at our in-house restaurant.
See footage of our summer BBQ at Glanbia Portlaoise here 
Glanbia Cheese EU team members eating BBQ items

Glanbia Team Members Enjoying The Summer BBQ

#Team MC’s Nutrition Awareness Month

Posted on: June 4th, 2021 by Stephen Mackie

As part of #TeamMC‘s internal Nutrition Awareness Month we have provided team members with a series of delicious healthy recipes utilising the skills of our chef’s from across the catering estate. This week’s recipe is from Mount Charles Chef, Ri Elers in RTE Dublin who has put together a step by step guide for the perfect summer pan roasted fillet of hake.

Pan Roasted Fillet of Hake
Cumin, Carrot and Rosemary Puree
Balsamic Beetroot, Baby Potatoes and Baby Gem Salad
Rustic Roasted Root Vegetables

You should be aware that the recipe includes fish, milk and sulphites. Please check all ingredients specific to any special dietary needs or allergens.

What you will need:

2 x Hake Fillets.
1x Sprig of Rosemary, Teaspoon Cumin.
Baby Potatoes, Raw Beetroot, Balsamic Vinegar, Baby Gem Lettuce, Honey
3x Carrots.
3x Parsnip.
1x Sweet Potatoes.
1x Red Onion.
Dried mixed herbs.
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, 10g Butter, fresh herbs for garnish (optional)
A good non Stick Pan, A frying pan, Roasting tray, Pre-heated oven at 175 degrees.

A Note From Ri

With temperatures starting to climb, so is the need for lighter, healthier, yet nutritious and fulfilling food. As with everything in life, cooking should be an enjoyable experience . With a little enthusiasm and  patience, this will make for a memorable late evening meal and a great talking point at the table.

Rustic Roast Vegetables
Wash and scrub the vegetables in running water (no need to peel away the nutritional value), ¼ the vegetables lengthwise, combine in a bowl add a little olive oil, salt, pepper, dried mixed herbs and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Lie out on a roasting tray and put in the oven for 30-35 minutes. After approximately 15 minutes shake the tray and return to the oven.

Balsamic Beetroot, Baby Potato and Gem Salad
Carefully dice the potatoes and the beetroot in to roughly 1 inch cubes.
Peel off the outer leaves from the Gem, discard and ¼ the remaining hearts of the lettuce. Set aside for later. Heat the frying pan and add a little olive oil, the potatoes and the diced beetroot, add a sprig of rosemary, season with salt and pepper and put in to the oven for 30 minutes. After approximately 10 minutes, toss the pan and return to the oven.

Cumin, Carrot and Rosemary Puree
Peel and chop the carrots, place in a pot with cold water, the teaspoon of cumin and a sprig of rosemary. Bring to the boil and simmer until the carrots are tender. Strain the carrots keeping the liquid to thin out the puree. Blend the carrots into a smooth paste adding the reserved cooking liquid as necessary. Season to taste, set aside and keep warm.

Pan Roasted Fillet of Hake
Heat the non stick pan adding a little olive oil and the 10g of butter. Season the fish, and when the butter starts to foam up, add the fish and leave it to sear and seal. After 3 minutes, carefully turn the Hake over, baste with the pan juices and put in the oven for 8 minutes. By now everything should be nearly ready to plate and serve.

To Serve
Place the roasted vegetables on a plate and cover with foil. Return to beetroot pan to the hob, add the Gem, some Balsamic vinegar and a little honey, toss and place in a salad bowl, and cover with foil. Warm up the puree, and place a dollop on to each plate, smear this across the plate and place the Hake on top of this. Garnish with the fresh herbs and take the plates to the table. Place the warm salad and vegetables on the table and enjoy.

For more information on all of our catering services click here

New Appointments & Team Members For 2021

Posted on: May 25th, 2021 by Stephen Mackie

Image showing Mount Charles employee Edna Armstrong smiling

(Pictured: Edna Armstrong, Senior Bid Manager.)

What’s your name and role & when did you start at Mount Charles?

Edna Armstrong, Senior Bid Manager. I started in Mount Charles in January 2021, starting a new job remotely during lockdown was strange to say the least but the support I got from Gavin was incredible.

What was your first ever job & what did it entail?

My first ever job was working with my Dad on his milk round when people wanted fresh milk on their doorsteps in the morning. It meant getting up at 4am every morning and made me appreciate how magical early mornings are before the world woke up. Another upside was I finished work at lunchtime so had every afternoon free. It also meant early nights – a habit I still maintain to this day!

What’s a work related accomplishment you’re proud of?

Working in Bid Production means every bid won is a huge accomplishment in a highly competitive environment. Two recent stand outs for me have to be MC winning Tesco and Radius. It was great to be part of that team.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Family is very precious to me so spending time with my husband and two children is my priority. We all love the outdoors so walking features heavily in our leisure activities. We are also very lucky to have a holiday home in Fermanagh where we have a boat so we spend a lot of weekends on the waters of Lough Erne. I also love to cook so evenings and weekends are normally about good food and long walks.  In normal times I also love to travel and my husband and I normally would have two or three city breaks a year. Something I have missed in the last year or so but we will make up for it in 2022.

What are you looking forward to accomplishing in Mount Charles?

Being an integral part of #TeamMC and positively contributing to company growth and sustainability.

Dog or Cat person?

Definitely a crazy cat woman – I currently have 2 cats who I adore and spoil rotten.

What’s been your biggest influence to date in your career?

Has to be my parents. They had an incredible work ethic which they instilled in all their children. They also taught me to always do right by others and simply treat others as I would like to be treated. They achieved a lot in their own careers so were great role models for pure honest hard work and were evidence that with the right attitude and effort we can achieve great things without compromising on integrity and core values.

Where’s your favourite place and why?

Fermanagh where I grew up – It is the most beautiful, relaxing place even when it rains! I believe Lough Erne has magical calming powers!

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Stay true to yourself and do the right thing! Also don’t sweat the small stuff…

Image showing Mount Charles employee Stacey McAlister smiling

(Pictured: Stacey McAlister, Head of Operations)

What’s your name and role & when did you start at Mount Charles?

Stacey McAlister – Head of Operations, 3rd May. (The Newbie)

What was your first ever job & what did it entail?

I brushed up the floors in a hairdressers on a Saturday when I was 11 for 50p an hour. Definitely illegal! Then moved to working in a gift shop from I was 12 for £1 an hour for 2 hours after school and a Saturday. I worked 40 hours per week during the summer for £1 and hour. I left her when I was 16 and still was only getting £1 an hour (not that I am bitter about it).

What’s a work related accomplishment your very proud of?

In a previous role the company was mainly considered to be a cleaning company and within 6 years I was able to help the growth of the catering business to become a recognised brand within Northern Ireland. Something that I am looking to emulate at Mount Charles.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love to walk and cook. I need to walk after all of the food! I am currently walking as much as possible as I am doing the mighty hikes marathon for MacMillan Cancer on 24th June. I am doing this with my mum and we currently have £900 raised, if anyone would like to donate.

What are you looking forward to accomplishing in Mount Charles?

The sky is the limit! I want to grow the cleaning business within Northern Ireland and Ireland. Mount Charles is known for being a world class catering provider with a really strong catering brand and I want this to be the same for the cleaning sector of the business with strong people and strong client relationships.

Dog or Cat person?

Definitely a dog! He’s the child of the house. Photo attached just to see how cute he is.

What’s been your biggest influence to date in your career?

What or Who? Probably returning to Northern Ireland in 2011 where I got involved in Facilities Management and the cleaning industry. I realised I loved the operational side of the business and wanted to try and give the best possible customer service to clients as well as the employees on the ground getting the equipment and recognition they needed and deserved. Jonathan Mallon has also been a huge influence as I found that he was the first manager I had who give the autonomy to managers that was needed to achieve the best possible results

Where’s your favourite place and why?

Cuba. I just love the vibrancy of Havana and how laid back the whole country is. The beaches are unbelievable and the water so warm and crystal clear.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Try to relax and not worry about the small stuff and things you can’t control. Everything works out the way it’s supposed to.

 

Jonathan Mallon an employee of Mount Charles Group smiling

What’s your name and role & when did you start at Mount Charles?

Jonathan Mallon, Chief Operating Officer, I started in March 21.

What was your first ever job & what did it entail?

My first job was delivering Fizzy lemonade for the Maine Lemonade Company.

What’s a work related accomplishment your very proud of?

I am very proud of achieving global success in sales and improving business operations and working opportunities for all staff.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I play golf badly and enjoy the garden.

What are you looking forward to accomplishing in Mount Charles?

To deliver a great service to our clients, have a good team working for Mount Charles and growing the business.

Dog or Cat person?

I have 2 Cats and 2 Dogs and a Love Bird.

What’s been your biggest influence to date in your career?

I completed a 1 year in house course Facilitating Futures working with 11 others from all over the world and learnt so much about developing and motivating teams.

Where’s your favourite place and why?

I lived in the Isle of Man for a few years and found it a very relaxing and beautiful island.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Slow down and let others take responsibility for their own areas.

Supporting Team Members To Success

Posted on: February 4th, 2021 by paul@stylografik.com

 

Micheal is a young man who, having recently completed his Catering & Hospitality Level 1 on the Training for Success programme, has now secured paid employment as a Catering Assistant with Mount Charles Catering Portadown. With support and guidance from our Education & Training Job Match and Workable NI teams.

Micheal has Autism, MLD and anxiety and was first introduced to the Disability Action team when he started the Training for Success (TFS) Programme in September 2017 with Café 180 / Southern Regional College in Portadown. Micheal found it difficult to settle into training and new routines. He had 3 work placements during his training – the most recent being a new coffee shop in Portadown. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 the training placement stopped last year as did his practical work within Café 180.

Louise McGarrity, Disability Action’s TFS Education & Training Officer, said:

Micheal continued to work on his NVQ remotely and achieved his Level 1 qualification in Catering and Hospitality. The staff in Café 180 supported him with his learning and emotional needs throughout his training, which increased during the remote learning in mid-March 2020. We had hoped that Micheal might move into paid employment with his work placement but due to COVID-19 that didn’t happen.

Louise discussed job search with Micheal and his mother and from June last year they became active in their search for paid work. Unfortunately again due to COVID-19 restrictions few opportunities arose, however those that did had a high level of interest.

I worked with Micheal to update his CV and he was referred to our Job Match team in August. Micheal was very keen to secure paid work and, with support from his mum, he was proactive in his search and visited local businesses enquiring about job opportunities.

Colin McElroy, one of our Job Match Supported Employment Officers, was introduced to Micheal:

Micheal came on board the Job Match programme at a very challenging time due to the COVID-19 restrictions. However, he was not deterred and as we continued our job search, it was clear that this was a determined young man, who wanted to work in his chosen area of catering and hospitality.

As Micheal searched independently, he secured an interview with Mount Charles Catering based in Moy Park, Portadown. Colin continued:

It was apparent from the start that this was a great employer, with a good understanding of disability. Micheal was offered a short work trial and both he and the employer agreed that this role would be a good match for him. He was then offered the post and quickly underwent all the necessary training to help him adjust. His manager Megan and I discussed how he could be further supported by the Workable NI programme and the referral was made to my colleague Lynda Brown.

Micheal has progressed well, undertaking extra shifts when required. He is making friends at work and, with Lynda and Megan’s support, there is no reason why this role won’t be sustained long-term.

Lynda Brown, Workable NI Employment & Training Officer, said:

Micheal required some additional support to help him make the transition from training into the real world of work and paid employment, which I am supporting him with.

Lynda will continue to support Micheal in identified areas specific to his needs until he feels competent in his job and his employer is satisfied that he is doing his job to an acceptable standard.

Micheal’s Manager at Mount Charles, Megan Anderson, said:

Mount Charles has always been an equal opportunity employer and they have a great positive approach to employing and sustaining disabled people. Michael has been a great example of someone who with the correct support and help can become a valued member of the team. Lynda from Workable NI has helped us understand more of his needs and how we can support him so we both get the best out of his employment. I would recommend the Workable NI programme to any employer.

Speaking about the support he received from Disability Action and about his new job, Micheal said:

I was nervous about starting full time work; I feel more confident now and all the staff have helped me feel welcome. My Café 180 experience helped me a lot and I am very glad of the opportunity. Colin was a good help in finding a job and what to expect about coming into full-time work.

A Bright Future With Catering For Department of Health Dublin

Posted on: November 24th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

Mount Charles Ireland are delighted to announce a new catering contract with the Department of Health, based in Miesian Plaza on Baggot Street, Dublin.

The catering team will provide services to all occupants situated over the building’s seven floors, including the Department of Health, Department of Children and Youth Affairs, Department of Public Expenditure & Reform and the Department of Finance.

The team will deliver a premium, healthy, local fresh food offer, in line with current trends, under their bespoke Urban Square brand. Working from a state-of-the art preparation kitchen, Urban Square will serve the best seasonal ingredients, locally sourced and prepared freshly by a skilled culinary team.

This will be supplemented by a barista coffee bar, ‘Urban Coffee Co.’ and an ‘Honest’ salad bar. The made to order healthy eating brand, will offer fresh, non-processed, food with comprehensive, transparent nutritional information available with every meal.

Terry Woods, Commercial Director at Mount Charles Ireland said: “We are delighted to add the Department of Health, to our portfolio of high-profile Dublin clients and look forward to providing the Department of Health with our signature professional service. All our food will be prepared fresh on site from locally sourced ingredients and our bespoke, innovative menus are developed by our Culinary Development Team, led by Darren Curran. The menus developed exclusively for Miesian Plaza, will enable staff to quickly grab a healthy snack, or a more substantial breakfast or lunch.”

“We champion provenance and local suppliers, ensuring that customers know their food journey. We don’t have to look far for the best ingredients and the quality and freshness of our food starts with our unequivocal commitment to support local Irish suppliers.”

In the last two years, we are exceptionally pleased with growth in the Irish marketplace, Mount Charles Ireland have been awarded contracts worth a combined €40million with the Department of Transport Tourism & Sport, Irish Blood and Transfusion Service, Ordinance Survey Ireland, the Abbey Theatre, the National Aquatic Centre, Custom House, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Griffith College, Maynooth College and RTE.

For more information on our catering services click here.

Mount Charles Team Members Pictured Outside New Catering Client, Department of Health Ireland.

Terry Woods Commercial Director & Darren Curran Executive Chef at Mount Charles Ireland

Mount Charles Unveils New Restaurants At Education Client SRC’s Armagh & Banbridge Campuses

Posted on: October 5th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

(From left to right: Raymond Sloan, Director of Client Services; Trevor Annon, Chairman of Mount Charles; Esther Scott, cleaner; Debbie Gibson, Chef Manager and Lorraine McKeown, Assistant Director of Student Services & Marketing.)

Mount Charles today unveiled student restaurants in Southern Regional College’s brand new £35 million award-winning 14,000 square-metre landmark campus in Armagh and its new 4,500 square-metre £15 million campus in Banbridge.

Ireland’s largest support service organisation will provide food and beverage services to College staff and students returning to undertake Further and Higher Education qualifications, Training for Success programmes, as well as those taking part in a range of apprenticeship programmes.

The redevelopment serves as an opportunity to introduce new food and beverage offerings including the installation of Urban Square Food Co restaurants, on both campuses, designed to create vibrant spaces where students can meet and collaborate.

The Mount Charles team plans to showcase healthy, nutritious food in a fun and welcoming environment, with street food menus from around the world, granola bar, salad bar, vegan and regional dishes, throughout the year as well as ‘grab and go’ convenience options.

An Urban Square Coffee Co dock has also been installed in the Armagh Campus, serving sweet treats and the finest barista coffee, roasted locally in Lisburn.

Mount Charles’ Chairman, Trevor Annon said; “The new College buildings in Armagh and Banbridge have been designed to facilitate world class professional and technical education and training and we are delighted to provide students with nutritious, value for money, quality meals while they study here.

“We recognise the importance of working in partnership with each campus to ensure individual requirements are met and expectations are exceeded.”

Raymond Sloan, Director of Client Services at Southern Regional College said: “Mount Charles has been successfully working in partnership with Southern Regional College throughout our campuses for many years. We have recently opened the doors of our two new campuses at Armagh & Banbridge, following an investment of £50m in these new buildings, which provide first class, industry standard, teaching spaces for our students.

“Mount Charles continue to partner with us in the delivery of excellent catering and snack facilities within our new campuses. New cafés and coffee docks are now open for students and staff. We believe that campus catering forms an important element in delivering a great campus experience and we’re delighted to continue to work with Mount Charles”.

See more of our latest news 

Life Has Changed & So Should Your Cleaning

Posted on: August 4th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

Commercial Cleaning & ‘The New Normal’

We understand how many businesses & the environment in which they now operate have changed. What may have been a suitable cleaning schedule in February is now defunct with a strong need for innovation, accountability & professional expertise. We can conduct a fresh site survey with analysis of your bespoke needs & make critical suggestions to ensure the frequency of cleaning, techniques used & chemicals implemented utilise your budget effectively so you can spend it where it matters.

Mount Charles cleaning team member wearing a white chemical safe suit, with black mask spraying sanitising chemicals on sports equipment

Access To A Supply Chain of Approved Products, Chemicals & PPE

With over ten years experience in the commercial cleaning industry we have developed supply lines with trusted suppliers of approved PPE products & professional cleaning chemicals. There is a lot of opportunistic noise in the market place at the moment about different products & quite often ‘one solution to suit all’ advice on chemicals. Be safe in the knowledge that our suppliers deal with market leaders & our advice is based on expertise & your businesses actual needs.

Mount Charles team member wearing a white hazardous safe suit with black mask cleaning computer equipment in an office with sanitising chemicals

Our Ability To React When You Need Us

Our existing wide range of clients & their different services have meant we have had to adapt & develop a mobile cleaning team over recent years. We understand how to maintain & provide a 24- hour emergency cleaning service which can now deal with the current climate of potential Covid-19 outbreaks. We understand the seriousness of this prospect when providing a duty of care for your customers & clients as well as the potential reputational damage if not dealt with quickly & effectively. Which is why we are happy to provide this mobile service outside of the regular cleaning schedule if needed for the comfort of our clients. For more information on our cleaning services or to contact us click here.

Mount Charles team members standing outside a care home building in hazardous safe suits and masks in preparation for a sanitisation clean

 

 

BBQ For Key Workers At Laura Lynn Dublin

Posted on: August 4th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

The Mount Charles Dublin catering management were absolutely delighted to be able to reward our clients hard working team from Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice Dublin with a summer BBQ in their outdoor area on Friday afternoon.

This single event certainly does not equate to the challenge these individuals have faced during COVID-19 in their roles but a gesture of our appreciation with the help of our generous suppliers.

Head of Catering for ROI Terry Woods was behind the BBQ at certain stages of the day himself which provided some amusement for his team on site, especially Head Executive Chef Darren Curran.

We caught up with Terry on the day who added “We look forward to the future, our recovery from Covid and continuing to build our relationship with our clients. We have seen first hand the difficult jobs these workers have had every day and we jumped at the opportunity to reward their efforts with a BBQ.”

Contact us about your upcoming catering requirements today

Covid-19 Catering Team Laura Lynn Belfast

Trevor (Chef) at Laura Lynn Dublin taking care of customers at summer BBQ.

Helping Your Team Get Back To Work Safely

Posted on: April 30th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

 

Care Home Cleaning & Decontamination During Coronavirus

Posted on: April 16th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

We understand keeping our most vulnerable members of society safe is of absolute necessity during these challenging times.

Mount Charles is here to help support your current & future cleaning needs whatever they may be, from one day decontamination cleans, to daily sanitisation of care homes.

Should you have any enquiries for more information please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated team at deepcleans@mountcharles.com

Tradition is our mission.

Mount Charles’s Coronavirus Task Force

Posted on: March 30th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

If you have queries or would like some more information with regards to the active measures taken by Mount Charles to deal with the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic please contact our dedicated task force at coronavirus@mountcharles.com

 

text information around supporting clients through Coronavirus and ensuring business continuity of Mount Charles

#Team MC Recognised For 10th Year At Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards

Posted on: March 9th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

Text announcing Mount Charles as a best managed company for 2020 by Deloitte.

Mount Charles has been named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards programme, in association with Bank of Ireland. The company, which demonstrated superior business performance for the 10th year, was recognised at a gala awards dinner in Dublin on 6 March.

Nine companies have qualified for the first time in the 2020 Best Managed Companies Awards programme. They join a network of 130 companies representing 27 counties across Ireland, with a combined turnover of €11.4 billion, over €3 billion in annual export sales and providing 42,000 jobs.

Commenting on the award, Gavin Annon, Head of Sales and Marketing said ‘It is an honour to be recognised once again alongside such credible companies, we are so proud of how the company continues to grow from strength to strength’

Anya Cummins, Lead Partner for the Best Managed Companies Awards Programme at Deloitte said: “We are consistently impressed by the organisations that qualify and requalify for our Best Managed Companies Awards programme, and the contribution that this important cohort of the economy make is highlighted by the turnover and employment numbers of the winning companies. While Irish companies across all sectors navigate issues such as talent acquisition and retention, continuing uncertainty around Brexit and regulatory challenges, the management teams of the winning companies have demonstrated their razor-sharp focus on their objectives, an agility to adapt in a disruptive market place and to innovate and use technology as a real differentiator for them.

“The fast pace of disruption in the current marketplace makes it critical for organisations to maintain holistic, integrated strategies and seek long-term growth opportunities. Through the Best Managed Companies Awards Programme, we are working with applicant companies to help them focus on strategies that will drive sustainable growth for them into the future. We are celebrating 130 companies that are not afraid to be challenged on their strategies – in fact want to be challenged – and that have risen to the challenge.”

Nikki Canavan, Senior Director, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking said: “The Best Managed Companies programme is a unique opportunity for organisations to not only examine and improve upon their overall performance, but importantly to celebrate the hard work that their teams put in all year round. The programme has supported numerous indigenous Irish companies to re-evaluate and strengthen their business strategies and their growth and development plans. It is inspiring to watch such a vast number of companies requalify for this prestigious award and retain their position in this impressive and growing alumni of best managed companies in Ireland.”

The members of this year’s judging panel were: Frank Ryan, Chair of the Judging Panel; Harry Goddard, CEO, Deloitte; Nikki Canavan, Senior Director, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking; Siobhan McAleer, Commercial Director, IMI; Rose Hynes, Chairman, Shannon Group Board and Origin Enterprises; Feargal Mooney, former Chief Executive Officer of HostelWorld; and Colm O’Reilly, CEO, Business Post.

Mount Charles Win Maynooth University Contract

Posted on: February 19th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

Mount Charles has won a landmark four-year, catering services contract with Maynooth University in Kildare.

The deal, will see #TeamMC provide food and beverage services to the University’s 14,000 students, staff and visitors onsite, which will continue to grow over the duration of the contract.

Maynooth University is one of four constituent universities of the National University of Ireland and in 2019 was placed #50 in the global top 100 universities under 50 years old, in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

Mount Charles will run all the Maynooth University food service operations on the campus including restaurants and cafes. The main student restaurant Phoenix has received a complete branding overhaul to become Urban Square Food Co and Urban Square Coffee Co, boasting large graffiti artwork, pool tables and foosball tables.

A new and exciting brand ‘POP’ has been introduced to the Arts Building, offering sweet treats such as milkshakes, bubble waffles, and ice-cream. Improvements have been made to the Starbucks café, situated in the John Paul II Library and Mount Charles’ own Mexican street food brand, Coco Diablo, has been installed in the John Hume Building.

Terry Woods, Commercial Director, Mount Charles Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to have secured this contract and our team is delighted to be working with one of the most prestigious universities in Ireland. “We are looking forward to working alongside Maynooth University and deliver on our ambitious plan to completely transform the campus restaurants and cafes and offer something really unique to students, staff and visitors.”

Michael Rafter, Director of Campus and Commercial Services at Maynooth University said: “Mount Charles’ creativity and innovation immediately stood out for us and their understanding of our student population and campus was a strong element of their proposal.

“Mount Charles are transforming our students’ dining experience and how we engage with them. We believe that campus catering is an important part of delivering a great campus experience. Ensuring we have the very best catering service and value for money, quality food offer, is essential for the health and well being of the University and its community.”

The company has recently added a catering contract with the Irish Blood Transfusion Service to its Republic of Ireland client portfolio, alongside prestigious contracts with RTÉ, Griffith College Dublin, the Public Appointments Service, Ordinance Survey Ireland, Abbey Theatre, National Aquatic Centre and Custom House in Dublin.

Big School Cook Off Teams Complete Roadshows

Posted on: February 10th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

The Big School Cook Off teams completed their cooking demonstration roadshows last week. These short demos took place at a number of our valued sponsor Supervalu NI stores in Omagh, Irvinestown, Kells, Richhill, Comber & Dungiven!

We are very excited now for the final on March 4th in Belfast Met’s fantastic kitchen facilities at their Titanic Quarter campus. We can already tell its going to be an extremely close competition & we look forward to the teams showing off their final dishes!

Students pose with tray of pancakes and novelty human size cutlery in front of SuperValu Comber as part of cooking competition

Mount Charles Sponsor Ulster University Scholarship.

Posted on: January 23rd, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

This year Kerri Grant was awarded the Mount Charles Scholarship via our client Ulster University. This award is part of our overall company initiative to encourage young people into the hospitality industry. Kerri called into Annon House last week to tell us a little more about the scholarship & how it has helped her this year. We wish Kerri all the very best with her future studies & we hope to see her again after her near future travels!

#TeamMC #GreatPeople #GreatFuture

 

 

John McMaster Awarded BEM.

Posted on: January 20th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

We are unbelievably proud of John McMaster who is based in our Bombardier Belfast kitchen. John was awarded a BEM on the New Year honours list for services to the Army Cadet Force in Northern Ireland.

John has spent over 40 years in a voluntary role with the youth organisation which aims to inspire young people to achieve success in life and to develop in them the qualities of a good citizen – whilst of course having lots of fun.

We caught up with John last week to ask him more about the award & his time with Mount Charles. Well done John! From everybody at #TeamMC

 

Mount Charles Launch Fundraising Initiative For Australian Bush Fire Crisis

Posted on: January 15th, 2020 by paul@stylografik.com

Mount Charles will be distributing ‘koala boxes’ company wide to all of our customer facing sites to allow for donations to be given in aid of the Australian bush fire crisis.

These donations will be distributed via WWF-Australia to:

• Provide emergency funds to care for injured wildlife
after the fires clear.
• Restore homes for koalas and other wildlife, planting the first 10,000 trees urgently needed in koala habitats.
• Support the response, recovery and restoration teams in any other way possible.
• Help fund the lobbying to strengthen laws that prevent excessive tree-clearing, before it’s too late

Big School Cook Off 2020 shortlist revealed

Posted on: December 6th, 2019 by paul@stylografik.com

Following intense deliberation of over 100 entries from post primary schools across the country, the shortlist for the Mount Charles Big School Cook Off, in association with SuperValu, can now be revealed.

The first stage of the competition asked students to submit a recipe in either video or word format, for a main course dinner costing £10 or under, with consideration to creativity, health and the use of locally sourced produce.

The shortlisted County teams who will now take part in the Big School Cook Off Final at Belfast Metropolitan College (Titanic Quarter), on Wednesday 4th March, 2020 are:

Caitriona Lennox, Business Development Manager at Mount Charles said: “Firstly I’d like to thank all the teachers and students who took time to enter the competition this year. The panel of judges were completely blown away by the talent displayed in the submissions we received, which made it incredibly difficult to arrive at the final shortlist.

“We launched the Big School Cook Off initiative to encourage the development of cookery skills in classrooms. The number and quality of the entries we received, demonstrates to us that children are cooking, and we hope that by creating initiatives such as the Big School Cook Off that we will uncover and nurture future talent for the hospitality industry in Northern Ireland.”

Congratulating the finalists, Head of Marketing for SuperValu, Brendan Gallen, said: “At SuperValu we have a focus on Real Food and Real People and being a part of the Big School Cook Off allows us to encourage young people and families to get cooking.  We can’t wait to welcome the finalists into stores in January to showcase their fantastic dishes.”

The shortlisted teams will be invited to perform a cookery demonstration of their dish, at their local SuperValu store in January, ahead of the final on the 4th of March 2020.

Each county winning team will receive an apron, a finalist plaque for their school and a chef’s jacket to wear to the finals and the overall winning team will receive a plaque for the winning team, Private Box VIP tickets to an SSE Arena Ice Hockey match and their school will get a £100 voucher for catering equipment of their choice.

 

 

 

Mount Charles Wins RTÉ Catering!

Posted on: December 4th, 2019 by paul@stylografik.com

Mount Charles Ireland has now added RTÉ, Ireland’s national public media organisation, to our burgeoning portfolio of high-profile clients in Dublin including; Griffith College, Public Appointments Service, Ordinance Survey Ireland, Abbey Theatre, National Aquatic Centre and Custom House.

The seven-year contract will involve us delivering a high quality, bespoke food and beverage offering for 1,822 staff and clients at RTÉ’s Donnybrook campus which includes RTÉ’s television and radio studios, as well as the Fair City set.

Following in-depth market research and analysis of RTÉ’s bespoke requirements, Mount Charles has invested £100k to deliver a new experience, which will host their exciting food concept offers including; Real Good Food, Honest and Urban Square Coffee.

Real Good Food uses the best local ingredients to provide traditional home comfort food with a modern twist. Honest will serve fresh, non-processed, food and juices, accompanied by comprehensive nutritional information and Urban Square Coffee aims to transform the radio coffee shop into a destination venue.

All the menus have been developed especially for RTÉ featuring traditional home comfort food with a modern twist and dishes will be prepared using healthy cooking techniques.

Mount Charles Chairman and founder Trevor Annon, said: We are delighted to announce our most recent contract win. It is the ‘jewel in the crown’ of some heavyweight contracts we have picked up over the last two years and I believe it sends out a strong message to the market.

“Using our extensive knowledge from operating many similar catering solutions, we believe that we have created a strong food offer and brand that is appealing and will meet all of RTE’s staff and customers’ needs.We are confident that the service we can provide to RTÉ will be unrivalled.”

RTE Front Sign At Donnybrook

Mount Charles & Yellow Door Partnership Win ICC, Waterfront & Ulster Halls Contract

Posted on: October 18th, 2019 by paul@stylografik.com

Key team members of Mount Charles, Yellow Door and ICC stand in Waterfront hallway overlooking Belfast City Centre toasting to the contract win

BWUH Ltd, the private company founded in 2016, responsible for the management of the ICC Belfast | Waterfront Hall | Ulster Hall brands has awarded Hospitality Belfast, a joint venture between Yellow Door and Mount Charles, a four-year catering contract to manage and facilitate all catering requirements across the venues. The contract also provides for an optional two-year extension.
Hospitality Belfast will work hand in hand with the team across both venues to facilitate a full-service catering offer including retail catering for entertainment events, gala dinner and corporate function facilitation – as well as a wide range of catering options tailored to support the venues growing national and international conference business.

Chief Executive of ICC Belfast | Waterfront Hall | Ulster Hall, Catherine Toolan, commented:
Hospitality Belfast have proved through the tender process that they are the right catering partner to support our plans to win and deliver large-scale national and international conferences and events for the city of Belfast. A significant factor in their appointment is our shared desire to champion local produce and maximise our opportunity to profile local suppliers on a world-stage. Catering is a critical factor in our ability to attract major conferences, and our clients increasingly tell us they want quality, sustainable, local produce as part of their catering requirements. The contract will represent a significant portion of our estimated £3 million per annum local supply chain spend.

ICC Belfast, the brand representing Northern Ireland’s only purpose-built international convention centre, in conjunction with Visit Belfast, Tourism Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council, is committed to delivering corporate conference and convention style events that take place over a three-day period and have a minimum of 600 delegates per day. Each of these out-of-state delegates contribute up to £488 per day to the Northern Ireland economy in terms of inward spend across hotels, hospitality and retail. The venue is targeted with delivering 50,000 delegate days per year and £100m of economic impact to the City of Belfast by March 2021.

Andrew Dougan from Hospitality Belfast stated:
We are delighted to be able to build on our relationship with the team across these fantastic venues and are committed to supporting ICC Belfast in their bid to become one of the UK, Ireland and indeed Europe’s top performing international convention centres. With the contract now in place we can recruit a range of full and part-time employees to support the wide-ranging catering offering required to facilitate this dynamic business. We will also focus on local suppliers and champion their produce to both local and international customers.
47% of ICC Belfast’s conferencing revenue can be attributed to out-of-state business events, and whilst the venue currently generates an economic impact of £20m per annum, there is the potential for this figure to be doubled if the appropriate infrastructure is in place.

Trevor Annon from Hospitality Belfast added:
“The award of this contract following an extensive tendering process, reflects not only the quality of service we can deliver but reinforces our vision for the future. Our commitment is also evidenced by the fact we are investing £600k, in areas where the customer experience will be enhanced. The contract is expected to generate turnover in excess of £25m over the term and this will be a major boost to the local economy.”
The Hospitality Belfast contract begins with immediate effect.

The Mount Charles Big School Cook Off Launches For 2019/2020!

Posted on: October 2nd, 2019 by paul@stylografik.com

The annual Mount Charles Big School Cook Off Competition, in association with SuperValu NI launched today! Top chefs Ian Orr, Noel McMeel, Niall McKenna, Danni Barry, Andy Rea and Michael Deane called for students interested in cooking, to get involved!

The competition, now in its fourth year, is open to all post primary school pupils across Northern Ireland and Donegal, aged between 11 and 14.

Young people in teams of two are challenged to submit a main course recipe idea that feeds two, focusing on locally sourced ingredients that can be bought on a budget of £10, or Euro equivalent.

The finalists will then have a ‘cook off’ in March 2020 in the fantastic facilities at Belfast Met’s Titanic Quarter Campus!

Mount Charles Campaign For Dublin Facilities Management Growth

Posted on: September 23rd, 2019 by paul@stylografik.com

Last week Mount Charles erected a series of ‘tongue and cheek’ facilities management themed billboards. The billboards being erected around Dublin City Centre were filmed as part of a campaign to drive expansion in the greater Dublin area. As part of the planned growth, the oranisation will continue to offer specialist services including catering, cleaning, vending, security and event support. The video content shared across Mount Charles social media had a viral impact with a number of famed Dublin landmarks featuring within the content. We look forward to embarking on a period of growth in the Dublin market and building on on our roster of existing valued clients in the near future.

For more information on any of the above services please contact sales@mountcharles.com

Mount Charles Volunteer Catering Services At Wooden Spoon Event!

Posted on: September 9th, 2019 by Andrew

Ballyclare Rugby Club held the held the Wooden Spoon International Tag Rugby Festival on Saturday 8th June with over 900 players, coaches and support staff taking part in a fun filled day. It was an absolute pleasure for Mount Charles to volunteer catering services at the event and feed all these hungry folks throughout the day!

The following teams took part in over 160 matches in the U15 and Adult competitions:

Ballymena Bears, Newforge Taggers, Bantry Bay West Cork Jesters, Portadown Panthers, Barnhall Eagles, Seapoint Dragons, Coolmine Pumas, St Gerard Special School, DLSP Eagles, Stockport All Stars, Donaghadee Sharkies, Swansea Gladiators, Dunbrody Warriors, Dungannon Sharks, Vale of Evesham School, Garryowen Lyons, Virginia, Greystone Seagulls, Westmanstown Wasps, Hampshire Hurricanes, White Spire School, Harberton Special School, Wicklow Warriors, Killard Cougars, Witney Wolves, Mallow Barbarians and Clare Hares.

A huge congratulations to Ballyclare Rugby Club on such a well organised day!

boy in blue runs with Gilbert branded rugby ball from competitors in red in game of tag rugby

£1m Northern QTR Food Village Touches Down at Belfast International Airport!

Posted on: September 9th, 2019 by Andrew

The Northern QTR, Belfast International Airport’s new collection of restaurants and bar has officially opened, as the airport prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of travelers this Summer!

The NQTR includes four innovative food and beverage destinations including Coco Diablo Mexican Cantina and the popular all-Ireland brand Freshly Chopped, where healthy fast food is created in minimum time in open-theatre chopping stations. The Northern QTR also sees a refreshed Fed & Watered unit offering tasty food with locally sourced produce and the all new 24ft, 360 degree bar.

The concept, which has seen an investment of over £1 million from catering and facilities management giant Mount Charles, has created an additional 30 new full and part time jobs, with a total of 70 people now employed at The Northern QTR.

Head of Sales & Marketing at Mount Charles, Gavin Annon said: “We are excited that the Northern QTR is now open, and the early feedback from passengers has been fantastic!”

Joining the team at the official launch of the Northern QTR was little Faye Annon, granddaughter of Mount Charles’ Chairman, Trevor Annon. Faye came along to help raise awareness of two fantastic charities; Angel Wishes and DBA UK.

Four years old Faye has a condition called Diamond Blackfan Anaemia (DBA), a rare bone marrow failure disorder which means her bone marrow does not produce enough red blood cells to sustain her life.

She relies on the general public to donate blood so that she can receive transfusions every three weeks. The Annon family are very grateful to blood donors for saving their little girl’s life every month but ironically the blood transfusions are having an adverse effect on her internal organs, leaving a bone marrow transplant as the best option to improve her quality of life.

Trevor Annon said: “We’re delighted that Faye was well enough to help us launch our new collection of restaurants today and as we begin our journey with the Northern QTR, we as a family are also on a journey to find a cure for Faye. She is a remarkable little girl and I’m so proud to have her as my granddaughter.”

“We are now trying to find a match for Faye to have this life changing, bone marrow transplant and while not a cure for DBA, it will exclude the need for blood transfusions. As Faye’s condition is extremely rare she is excluded from all charities bar one in Northern Ireland, which is Angel Wishes. DBA UK supports Faye and all families with DBA, helping to fund vital research into a cure and we’d like to say a big thank you to both charities for all the support they have given us since Faye’s birth.”

Mount Charles Nominated In 3 Categories At The Belfast Business Awards!

Posted on: September 9th, 2019 by Andrew

Mount Charles team members are delighted to have been nominated in the below categories at The Belfast Chamber’s business awards this Friday night in Titanic Belfast!

Over 100 of Belfast’s top businesses have made the shortlist spanning 21 categories & we wish everybody the very best of luck!

Mount Charles Selected as a Deloitte Best Managed Company for 2019!

Posted on: September 9th, 2019 by Andrew

Mount Charles are once again proud to be named as one of Ireland’s Best Managed companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards programme, in association with Bank of Ireland. We have successfully demonstrated superior business performance which was recognised at a gala dinner in Dublin 1 March 2019.

This year, 12 new companies join a network of 136 companies that were awarded the status of Best Managed. The Best Managed Companies network this year has total revenues of almost €11 billion, export sales of almost €3 billion and total employment of approximately 44,000 people.

Gavin Annon, our Head of Sales and Marketing said ‘It is an honour to be recognised once again alongside such credible companies, we are so proud of how the company continues to grow from strength to strength’

Anya Cummins, Partner, Deloitte said: “Well done to all of the winning companies on their achievement. The Best Managed Companies process is a rigorous one, examining every facet of an organisation, and the bar is set high by our judging panel. As ever, the spread of companies, right around the country and across a number of industries, underlines the importance of Irish and Northern Irish companies to the economy and in the midst of economic uncertainty, technology disruption, an open competitive market and full employment, the continued strong performance of these businesses is admirable. In the current environment, it is important for this contribution to be recognised, supported and showcased.”

Tom Hayes, Chief Executive, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking said: “It’s a challenging time for businesses in general, with the operating environment consistently and rapidly changing, due to technological developments, new ways of doing things, and challenges on the macroeconomic horizon. The Best Managed Companies this year have demonstrated that they can optimise each area of their business while always operating with an acute awareness of their environment, recognising the opportunities of expansion into global markets, in addition to strategic alliances and partnerships. I look forward to their continued growth.”

This year’s judging panel members were Frank Ryan, Chair of the Judging Panel; Brendan Jennings, CEO, Deloitte Ireland; Tom Hayes, Chief Executive, Bank of Ireland Corporate Banking; Siobhan McAleer, Commercial Director at the IMI; Rose Hynes, Chairman of the Shannon Group Board and Origin Enterprises; and Feargal Mooney, former Chief Executive Officer of Hostel World.

Mount Charles Wins £75m of New Contracts In The Past Year!

Posted on: September 9th, 2019 by Andrew

Here at Mount Charles, we are proud to reveal that we have accumulated contracts worth a combined £75m over the last year. This exciting series of wins has led to a 20% boost in turnover to £40m for the company.

The new contracts in Northern Ireland include Belfast International Airport, bus manufacturer Wrightbus in Ballymena and Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council.

In the Republic of Ireland, Mount Charles has won tenders for the National Aquatic Centre, Department of Transport, Tourism & Sport, LauraLynn Children’s Hospice and others.

Trevor Annon, our chairman and founder, said: “Over the past 12 months we’ve secured a substantial number of lucrative new contracts in what we feel is a clear sign that we are bringing an attractive offering to the table, in terms of value, quality and innovation in our approach.

“Our growth in turnover in a competitive marketplace is a hugely encouraging indicator that we are on course to achieve our target of £100m in revenue by 2025.”

Mr Annon strongly believes that the company still has room to expand in Northern Ireland, but believes the strongest growth potential is in the Republic.

“We’re delighted with the progress we’ve made in the last year, and thanks to increased infrastructure and a focus on strategic talent acquisition in Dublin, we believe we’re in a strong position to really push forward in Ireland in the year ahead.”

This month Mount Charles has also been named in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Programme for the ninth year in a row.

Last year we announced a £520,000 contract over two years with the Department of Finance in Clare House on Airport Road in Belfast.

During the year we also reached a franchise agreement with food retailer Freshly Chopped. The Irish healthy food specialist opened up in Belfast city centre in partnership with Mount Charles, on the former ground floor of The Apartment – which has since been renamed Hell Cat Maggies.

Mr Annon last year received a lifetime achievement award at the 2018 Aer Lingus Take Off Foundation Business Awards.

He was praised for his work in expanding Mount Charles, which the judges said had provided “true economic benefit not only for its employees and their families, but also for the wider NI economy”.

Mount Charles Host Belfast Chamber Networking Event

Posted on: September 9th, 2019 by Andrew

On Thursday 28th February, Mount Charles will host a Belfast Chamber Networking Event in Head Office. Join Belfast Chamber and Other Local Businesses at Annon House and hear Guest Speaker Gavin Annon, our Head of Sales and Marketing, share his own experiences in growing a family business into what Mount Charles is today.

RSVP to info@belfastchamber.com. This is a free event open to members and non-member from 5.30pm – 8.30pm, refreshments will be provided.

Mount Charles Vending Launch Competition To Win an I-Pad

Posted on: September 9th, 2019 by Andrew

Mount Charles launched a vending competition in Northern Ireland recently to Win an iPad in partnership with our client Translink. We placed 500 QR code stickers on confectionery items within machines across a number of our client’s sites. In order for customers to be in with a chance of winning, they must first purchase an item within the machine and following that scan the code via their phone.

Our aim at Mount Charles is to continually engage with our clients and their customers through innovation and show them we appreciate their support.

We will be selecting a winner at random from the list of entries we have received. Chris Annon, our Group Logistics and Vending Development Manager, will then be awarding the lucky winner an I-Pad on behalf of Mount Charles Group.

For more information on our Vending Services see sales@mountcharles.com

Finger icons point to a QR code on the reverse of a Kit Kat chocolate bar explaining how to win a chocolate bar