Year: 2018

VFI Review of the Year 2018

2018 proved to be another busy year for the VFI and our members. Here’s a short video capturing some of the people, places and events that made up the past 12 months….

Pure Brew & Rory’s Stories Team Up For Christmas Campaign 

‘Pure Brew’ launch Christmas campaign along with the help of Rory O’Connor, comedian and social media star behind ‘Rory’s Stories’. Earlier today, Pure Brew, non-alcoholic lager from the brewers of Guinness, unveiled its  ‘Pure Sound’, festive campaign which celebrates those who decide to stay off the beers for the night in favour of driving their mates home.   The […]

PUBLIC HEALTH (ALCOHOL) Act explained

There has been much debate and media coverage over a number of years now on the Public Health (Alcohol) Act.  This has eventually been passed into law and there are many items in it that we have been lobbying and campaigning for over a protracted period of time.  What follows is the main provisions of […]

Publicans Support Designated Driver Campaign This Christmas

Coca-Cola’s Designated Driver campaign returns to encourage the nation to give the ‘Gift of a Lift’ this Christmas. The campaign will once again offer free soft drinks to those drivers who stay sober to ensure loved ones get home safely throughout the festive period. The VFI & pubs across Ireland are lending support to Coca-Cola […]

Glyde Inn named Irish Pub of the Year 2018

The Glyde Inn, based in Annagassan Co. Louth, has won the overall Irish Pub Awards National Irish Pub of the Year 2018. The Co. Louth pub was crowned national champion after winning the Best Food Pub, one of nine categories announced at last night’s awards. The Awards were presented by Minister of State for Tourism […]

Food Safety Day 2018

The National Hygiene Partnership (NHP) ”Food Safety Day” will take place on Tuesday 20th of November 2018. The purpose of this day is to create awareness, draw attention of food businesses to food safety and promote the importance of food safety training. Click HERE to download the NHP poster. For more information contact: [email protected] or call 01 448 […]

VFI launch Loving Your Local supplement

A VFI-produced supplement, ‘Loving Your Local’, is being distributed with ten regional newspapers across Ireland this week. The supplement is also available on each newspaper’s website and supported through social media. Loving Your Local dedicates 16 pages to all that’s great about pubs in Ireland, with features on young publicans reinventing the trade, the food […]

Intoxicating Liquor (Breweries and Distilleries) Act 2018

The Intoxicating Liquor (Breweries and Distilleries) Act 2018 was signed into law by the President on 22 July 2018. The Act came into force on 3 September 2018, write Maire Conneely, an Associate in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice at A&L Goodbody, and Constance Cassidy SC. The Act creates a new licence called a […]

Donegal takes four home as North East winners announced

Donegal publicans were celebrating after four of their pubs took home awards last night(11th October 2018) as the Irish Pub Awards North East region winners were announced in The Squealing Pig, The Diamond, Monaghan Town. All nine winners will now go forward to the final of the National Pub Awards at the RDS Concert Hall […]

Publicans embrace new vision for food and drink

A new food programme developed by Failte Ireland in partnership with the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) is training publicans about the possibilities of of providing great Irish food and drink experiences in pubs across the country with a focus on innovation, locally sourced produce and value for money. The ‘Grow Your Food Programme’ is […]

VAT hike a grave error that will cost jobs says VFI

The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) says today’s decision by the Government to increase the hospitality VAT rate to 13.5% is a shocking and retrograde step that will cause excessive damage to the sector. Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive, VFI states: “Removing the 9% VAT rate in today’s Budget is a kick in the teeth for […]

Budget 2019 – VFI statement

Budget 2019 – Vintners’ Federation of Ireland statement The Vintners’ Federation of Ireland (VFI) says today’s decision by the Government to increase the hospitality VAT rate to 13.5% is a shocking and retrograde step that will cause excessive damage to the sector. Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive, VFI states: “Removing the 9% VAT rate in today’s […]

The Vines Pub Brings Food Truck Boom to Wexford

Stepping up to the rural challenge in The Vines, Saltmills, Co. Wexford How to survive and thrive in a small rural village where all the shops and businesses have closed is a question many publicans ask themselves. If you’ve been running the pub for years how do you change your offer to attract and retain […]

Gilroy’s of Enniscrone named Best Local in Connaught

The Irish Pub Awards Connuaght Regional finals were held in Maxwells Pub, Claremorris last night(2nd October 2018) with Gilroy’s Pub, Enniscrone, Co Sligo named Best Local. There were nine categories in total and all nine winners will now go forward to the final of the National Pub Awards at the RDS Concert Hall in Dublin 4 […]

South East celebrations as Irish Pub Awards winners announced

Pubs in the counties Waterford, Wexford, Kilkenny and Tipperary are celebrating following their success at the 2018 Irish Pub Awards Regional Finals, which took place in Rafter Dempsey’s Pub, 4 Friary Street Gardens, Kilkenny yesterday evening (26th September 2018).  All nine winners will now go forward to the final of the National Pub Awards at […]

Irish Pub Awards announce South West winners for 2018

Some of the finest pubs in the South West representing counties Limerick, Clare and Kerry are celebrating following their success at the 2018 Irish Pub Awards Regional Finals, which took place in Bobby Byrne’s Pub, 3 O’Connell Avenue, Limerick City yesterday evening (25th September 2018).  All nine winners will now go forward to the final […]

VFI Benevolent Fund Golf Classic

Many thanks to the seventeen teams who travelled to participate in the VFI Benevolent Fund Golf Classic held in The Heritage, Killenard on Wednesday 19th September, despite the conditions caused by Storm Ali. Congratulations to the winning team, Wexford, followed by Kilkenny in second place and Leitrim in third.

East Region winners celebrate in Sallins

Some of the finest pubs in counties representing the East Region are celebrating following their success at the 2018 Irish Pub Awards Regional Finals, which took place in Lock 13, Sallins, Co Kildare yesterday evening (19th September 2018).  All nine winners will now go forward to the final of the National Pub Awards at the […]

Increasing VAT rate would damage pub sector

Any move to increase the hospitality VAT rate could do lasting damage to the growing pub food trade, impacting on pub jobs across the country according to the two groups representing publicans.  The VFI and Licensed Vintners Federation (LVA) has called on the Government to protect these jobs by maintaining the 9 percent VAT rate […]