F&B Summit
Fáilte Ireland F&B Summit Focuses on Strengthening Food and Beverage Leadership Across Tourism
Over 50 businesses are currently participating in the first intake of the programme with a second intake of F&B 360° planned to open in late 2026
 Tues 28th April 2026
Pictured: Aaron Duffy, Castle Leslie Estate, Scot Turner, Auden Hospitality, Fiona Knox, Fáilte Ireland, Robbie Bargh, Gorgeous Group, Padraig McGillicuddy, Ballygarry House Hotel, Paul Cadden, Saba and Stephen Cunneen, Treaty City Brewery
Over 130 tourism industry representatives attended Fáilte Ireland’s F&B 360 Leaders’ Summit, Innovate for Success, which focused on strengthening food and beverage leadership, innovation and performance across hotels and visitor attractions.
The event brought together hotel owners, general managers and senior food and beverage leaders, including executive chefs, to examine the strategic role of food and beverage in overall business performance. Discussions centred on decision-making, operating models and leadership capability in what continues to be a challenging cost environment.
Attendees heard insights from international hospitality experts, including Robbie Bargh, Founder of The Gorgeous Group, and Simon Wright, Founder of TGP International. The summit was chaired by Scot Turner, Founder of Auden Hospitality and author of the annual Food and Beverage Report. Chris Fletcher, Founder of Tech on Toast, also presented on the evolving F&B technology landscape and led a live sector-focused tech and AI clinic with a participating business.
The agenda combined international trends, commercial case studies and panel discussions, alongside Irish industry perspectives from Padraig McGillicuddy of Ballygarry Estate, Aaron Duffy of Castle Leslie Estate, Stephen Cunneen of Treaty City Brewery and Eveanna Ryan, Group Marketing and Innovation Manager at Connaught Hospitality Group. Contributions from the independent restaurant sector included Paul Cadden, Founder and Managing Director of Saba Group, and Jess Murphy, Owner and Head Chef at Kai in Galway, who shared insights on adapting to marketplace challenges while maintaining commercially successful operations.
The summit forms part of Fáilte Ireland’s F&B 360° programme, a strategic leadership initiative launched in November 2025 for owners, general managers and senior F&B leaders. Developed in response to industry feedback, the programme supports businesses in addressing the challenges of delivering profitable and sustainable food and beverage operations.
Each participating business works closely with a dedicated Fáilte Ireland advisor and has access to expert-led masterclasses, practical tools and supports through learniFI and Skillnet for team upskilling.
Jenny De Saulles, Director of Sector Development at Fáilte Ireland said, “Food and beverage is central to both the quality of the visitor experience and the long-term commercial sustainability of tourism businesses. In a challenging operating environment, strong leadership, clear decision making and fit-for-purpose operating models are critical to driving profitability and resilience. Through F&B 360°, we are supporting senior leaders to take a strategic and structured approach to strengthening performance, building capability and future-proofing their food and beverage operations. This programme recognises that long-term success depends on investing in leadership, upskilling teams and developing systems that can adapt and grow with the sector.”
More information about the programme can be found at https://supports.failteireland.ie/fandb360/
IHF Member Hotels & Guesthouses and tourism industry partners can submit news stories for inclusion by emailing us at hotelnews@ihf.ie