NEWS

CGI of newly approved five bedroom extension at Oranmore Guesthouse in Ballymena Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has approved plans for a five-bedroom extension at Oranmore Guest House on Galgorm Road, Ballymena, despite NI Water raising concerns over capacity. The proposal will provide additional guest accommodation in a single-storey detached block within the established grounds of the property. However, while planning permission has been granted, a condition attached t

Councillor Tyler Hoey, Chairman of Mid &East Antrim Policing and Community Safety partnership is pictured with Elena Brewer, Training Officer at ASCERT; Sergeant Wickham-Thomas, Neighbourhood Policing Officer, PSNI; Christina Li, ASCERT and Colin Robinson, Training Services Manager at ASCERT. A new free training programme aimed at helping bar, restaurant, club and off-licence staff deal confidently with alcohol-related risks is being rolled out across Mid and East Antrim this

CGI of new multi-purpose berthing facility for cruise ships to the city at land on Airport Road West in the Harbour Estate. Belfast’s facilities for welcoming cruise passengers are set to be expanded after councillors approved amended plans for a multi-purpose berthing facility within the Harbour Estate. Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee gave the application from Belfast Harbour Commissioners the green light on Tuesday evening, 18 August. The development, on land at A

Northern Regional College lecturer, Colin Wright, who has been shortlisted for a prestigious hospitality award. A Northern Regional College lecturer who is helping train the next generation of chefs has been shortlisted for one of Northern Ireland’s leading hospitality awards. Professional Cookery Lecturer Colin Wright has been named a finalist for Lecturer of the Year at the 2026 Institute of Hospitality Northern Ireland Awards, recognising his work developing students’ culi

South Antrim MP Robin Swann South Antrim MP Robin Swann has renewed calls for a reduced rate of VAT for Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector after the UK Government announced fresh business rates relief for pubs, clubs and live music venues in England. The Ulster Unionist MP said the new measures for England highlight the need for similar support tailored to Northern Ireland, arguing local businesses continue to face rising costs while competing with significantly lower hosp

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon is pictured with Anna Tait, owner of Ahoghill based business EJs Country Kitchen who had secured grant funding from an earlier round of the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme. An Ahoghill family-run food business that expanded its kitchen and introduced new dining experiences with the help of a rural development grant is being highlighted as more local businesses are encouraged to apply for funding of up to £7,500. EJs

The newly refurbished bedrooms at The Lodge Hotel in Coleraine after family-owned McKeever Hotels completed a £1.8 million investment to modernise the hotel and enhance the guest experience. A £1.8 million investment has transformed all of the bedrooms at The Lodge Hotel in Coleraine, with owners McKeever Hotels saying the refurbishment is designed to meet growing demand for high-quality accommodation on Northern Ireland’s North Coast. The major upgrade comes just a year afte

The Halfway House Country Pub The Halfway House Country Pub outside Broughshane has been recognised among the very best rural pubs in the United Kingdom after receiving a Highly Commended honour at the Grand Champions of the 2026 Countryside Alliance Awards in London. The prestigious recognition was announced on Wednesday, July 8, at the House of Lords, where the Carnlough Road venue represented Northern Ireland after being crowned Countryside Alliance Northern Ireland Champi

The Glensway Bar in Martinstown The owners of the Glensway Bar in Martinstown have issued an emotional appeal to the local community, warning that the future of the village pub is at risk unless customer support increases. In a candid message shared with customers, the family-run business said it has spent months debating its future amid mounting financial pressures, describing the post as both “an immediate warning” and “a cry for help”. The appeal comes as many independent

Brendan Gallagher, Key Account Executive, Diageo; ​Steven ​Davidson, Commercial Investment ​Manager, Diageo; Megan ​Armstrong, General ​Manager, ​Belfast International ​Airport; ​Chris ​Annon, Company Director, Mount ​Charles. Passengers travelling through Belfast International Airport are increasingly choosing a final taste of familiar Irish brands before take-off, with sales of Guinness, Rockshore and other Diageo draught products surging by 53% at the airport’s Northern Qu

L-R: Shannon Brown, Spa Manager, Salt Spa; Carl McGarrity, Director of The Salthouse Hotel; and Elizabeth Dillon, Guest Experience Manager, The Salthouse Hotel. A £5 million investment has transformed one of Northern Ireland’s most distinctive hospitality destinations into a fully realised luxury wellness retreat, with the opening of a major new spa creating 30 additional jobs and completing the final phase of development at The Salthouse near Ballycastle. The launch of the n

Lidl Northern Ireland has officially entered the hospitality sector for the first time, opening the doors of its new public house and off-sales, The Middle Ale, in Dundonald. The retailer’s first-ever pub welcomed its first customers on Thursday, marking a significant expansion beyond traditional supermarket retailing and creating eight permanent jobs in the process. Located beside the existing Lidl store in Dundonald, the new venue gives customers access to Lidl’s full range

More than 200 hospitality and food service businesses have closed across Northern Ireland since the beginning of the year, industry leaders have claimed, as support grows for a proposal to cut VAT to 10 per cent in a bid to protect jobs and struggling local firms. The Northern Ireland Food to Go Association (NIFTGA) has publicly backed South Antrim MP Robin Swann’s call for a Northern Ireland hospitality VAT pilot, arguing that businesses are facing unprecedented financial pr

CGI image of the hotel development in Rosemary Street approved at Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee this evening. This development will bring a 30-bedroom hotel with associated facilities and café. Belfast’s city centre is set for a significant boost in visitor accommodation, residential care provision and housing after planners approved five major developments that will reshape a number of prominent buildings across the city. The decisions, taken by Belfast City Coun

South Antrim MP Robin Swann South Antrim MP Robin Swann is calling for a major tax intervention that he says could help struggling hospitality businesses survive mounting financial pressures, safeguard jobs and breathe new life into town centres across Northern Ireland. The Ulster Unionist MP has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons urging the Treasury to introduce a pilot scheme that would reduce VAT on hospitality services in Northern Ireland from the cu

McDonald’s Ballymena Ballymena’s McDonald’s restaurant is set to reopen tomorrow following a major £1.1 million transformation that has expanded the site, modernised operations and created 20 new jobs in the town. The popular restaurant at Braidwater Retail Park has been closed for six weeks while builders moved in for an extensive refurbishment designed to tackle one very modern fast-food problem — too many delivery drivers, too little space, and customers wondering where ex

Pictured at Galgorm Collection’s annual staff party are, from left, Laura Millar, Leah Harrison, Jade Strain, Kelly Kane and Katherine Baillie. One of Northern Ireland’s biggest hospitality employers has rewarded hundreds of staff with a major gala celebration after another year of expansion — with a surprise video message from Hollywood star Hugh Jackman becoming one of the highlights of the night. Around 450 employees from across Galgorm Collection gathered at Galgorm Reso

Families across Northern Ireland are set to see the cost of summer outings, meals and travel eased after Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled a major package of cost-of-living measures amid growing fears over the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East. In a Commons statement on Thursday (21 May), the Chancellor warned that instability linked to the war in Iran posed “a significant challenge to the world economy”, with rising oil and gas prices threatening to put f

A major new sports bar and restaurant promising live sport, late-night entertainment and a “true taste of the Causeway Coast” has officially opened inside The Portrush Atlantic Hotel. The venue, called Another Round, replaces the hotel’s former Atlantic Bar and forms part of a wider refurbishment programme at the landmark Portrush seafront hotel. Designed as a new social hub in the centre of the seaside town, the concept combines live sports coverage, food, drinks and enterta

(L-R) Paul Truscott, General Manager of The Harbourview Hotel pictured with David Roberts, Director of Strategic Development at Tourism NI and Adrian McLaughlin, Owner of The Harbourview Hotel  The Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough has secured a major boost just over a year after reopening under new ownership, with Tourism Northern Ireland awarding the coastal venue a four-star grading following an extensive refurbishment programme. The Co Antrim hotel — described as Ireland’s