mount charles catering Archives - Mount Charles Group

#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

(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…

(Pictured: Stacey McAlister, Head of Operations)

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

Stacey McAlister – Head of Operations, 3^rd 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 24^th 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.

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”.

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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.”

Covid-19 Catering Team Laura Lynn Belfast

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

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.

£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.”

Posts Tagged ‘mount charles catering’

It’s BBQ Season At Mount Charles

#Team MC’s Nutrition Awareness Month

New Appointments & Team Members For 2021

Supporting Team Members To Success

A Bright Future With Catering For Department of Health Dublin

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

BBQ For Key Workers At Laura Lynn Dublin

Mount Charles Win Maynooth University Contract

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