Hotelier thinking outside the box with a taste of ‘Headfort at Home’

One of Kells biggest employers, the Headfort Arms Hotel is preparing for reopening but is frustrated at the lack of guidance on holding weddings and other events.

The doors shut on March 16th letting over 100 staff temporarily go with the future unknown and it soon became clear that another route needed to be taken by the brother and sister, Vincent and Olivia Duff in order for the business to survive.

Having launched a new brand 'Headfort at Home' they are delivering restaurant quality food to people in their own homes and are now looking to the future.

“There will have to be changes to our accommodation and there will be no foreign tourists this year but we are looking at domestic tourism,” says Olivia Duff.

“We are putting together packages based on outdoor activities with Causey Farm, and Martry Mill.

“There will be significant investment in health and safety and technology.

“We now have a system where we can have contactless check in.”

She said the pizza oven and outdoor kitchen they developed in the garden will play a part in the reopening of the hotel.

At the moment, they are providing a take away with the menu featuring favourites from their Vanilla Pod restaurant, the Kelltic Bar and Café Therese.

Ms Duff said there will be need for good government supports and a zero VAT rate for at least at year as social distancing will reduce business capacity.

“With the prospect of social distancing on the horizon for a lot longer than expected, 'Headfort at Home' will continue to innovate on its offering, as each step of the reopening reveals what we are now referring to as 'new norms', the business must too look to new norms to survive the road ahead and embrace a reality that nobody could have forecasted.

“For now, step by step, the team at the Headfort return to a new working environment, a new model of business, which will hopefully be eased into a more social environment as time passes but right now its about embracing the current situation as best we can, with the help of a loyal team and the spirit of a wonderful rural community which Ireland has in bucket loads!”