Hotel & Restaurant Times talks with Eoghan Donnellan, Managing Director of Cork based Nisbets Ireland.
Nisbets is an Irish success story! Home to over 30,000 products for the hospitality industry, the Cork based business is part of one of Europe’s biggest catering supply companies covering the UK, Europe, and Australia / New Zealand, employing more than 1,800 people globally.
Nisbets Ireland’s Managing Director and European Commercial Excellence Director, Eoghan Donnellan has seen first-hand the evolution of the Irish foodservice industry over the last two decades.
Prior to joining Nisbets in 2020,Donnellan started his foodservice career with Musgrave Foodservice in 2002, and after stints as MD of Bunzl Irish Merchants and GM at First Choice Purchasing, a unique business working to secure the best possible deals for hotels and care homes with group buying power; the industry stalwart took his vast experience to Nisbets Ireland.
With his dual role – as both Managing Director of the company’s Irish operation, and Commercial Excellence Director for Europe – Donnellan set his sights on growing the business.
“At Nisbets, we see ourselves as real innovators,” says Donnellan. “The market is somewhat fragmented with suppliers so there’s a real benefit for customers to work with a brand like Nisbets, which offers next day delivery, competitive pricing and a broad range of quality products.”
In 2022, the company’s impressive growth in Ireland led to Nisbets opening a new 65,000 sq ft warehouse in Cork, alongside an imposing 3,000 sq ft showroom.
“With our state-of-the-art warehouse and showroom, customers can come in to see us and experience our product range in person. We also run demonstrations for clients, organise equipment training and hold supplier meetings. Our set up mirrors that of the incredibly successful National Catering Equipment Centre (NCEC) at Nisbet’s Bristol base in the UK, and we can set up live links with our Executive Chef at the NCEC to support our local customers here in Ireland who are looking for help with menu development.
Whether interacting with Nisbets online, over the phone, via our Retail Store in Dublin or in person via Key Account Managers, customers can always expect an exceptional service from a team that understands the challenges facing our customers. Nisbets constantly bring innovative new products to the market, ultimately focused on saving time and money for customers. It’s an industry that is very competitive and as a business Nisbets must be on its toes to adapt to the market and always be one step ahead.
“We launched 1,500 products last year alone.” says Donnellan. “We are particularly pleased with our Polar refrigeration range, with many products now receiving A energy class ratings. And we can calculate the savings for operators, to work out the payback time.”
As for the current state and predictions for the near future of the hospitality business in Ireland, Donnellan is optimistic as, he says, it’s an industry that knows from experience how to face challenges.
“I think that the hospitality industry is always challenged, and one thing I’ve seen over the years is that if there’s an economic event, be it a recession or a Covid crisis – the first market sector to feel the impact is foodservice … but it’s a market sector that has proven itself to be resilient and always reinvents itself every time. I’m an optimist by nature,” adds Donnellan, “the hospitality sector always recovers, adapts and comes back stronger than ever and I’m confident that it will continue to do so.”
