#120: The Bottom Line – Town Centres; Invoice Redirect Fraud; Consumer Behaviours; & Michelin Stars for Two Local Restaurants.

Filling in for John Purcell on The Bottom Line this week was Edwina Grace, who spoke with Minster of State for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan. Minister Noonan joined Edwina to tell us more about the recently published Town Centre First Policy and what this new strategy will mean for our local towns throughout the two counties.With Invoice Redirect Fraud being a constant threat to businesses up and down the country, Edwina was joined by Sgt Peter McConnon, Crime Prevention Officer who spoke about what invoice redirect fraud is, what businesses need to be on the lookout for, as well as offering advice on how to prevent this sort of crime from occurring within your organisation.Anne Zahan, Strategy Director at Core joined Edwina to chat about their “Predict 2022” research which examines consumer expectations for 2022, the report also provides insights into consumer behaviours throughout the pandemic and which ones we are mostly likely to retain. The Michelin Great Britain and Ireland Guide 2022 was announced during the week with Kilkenny restaurants Campagne and The Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Estate both retaining their star. Garrett Byrne, Head Chef and Co-Owner of Campagne spoke with Edwina about business over the last two years and what it takes to retain the Michelin Star, while Mark Dunne, General Manager at Mount Juliet Estate spoke about the teamwork, dedication and commitment involved in retaining a Michelin star. Mark also spoke about the challenges that the industry has faced over the last number of years and preparing for the Irish Open. With thanks to O’Neill Foley, Produced by Deirdre Dromey.To contact the show, email: [email protected]