Wanted in Adare: 50 chefs, scores of staff to make beds and the perfect Irish coffee

Can you set a wood fire? How are your flower-arranging skills? What about about making the best Irish coffee in the county it was invented in? Can you serve breakfast in bed discreetly? Make a stately bed with hospital corners? Are you hardworking, chatty and genuine?

If you can do all of these thing – or maybe a combination – then Adare Manor could be the place for you, to work that is.

Ireland’s latest five-star resort, the 840-acre Adare Manor, is looking for “very special” people to serve presidents, celebrities, famous golfers and the rich at the hotel, which is expected to open in November after a multimillion euro refurbishment. The hotel is to begin hiring 350 staff on Thursday, the first of a three-day recruiting drive.

Adare Manor, in the village of Adare, just outside Limerick, has been closed for 16 months and when it reopens it will have 42 new rooms, a 350-seat ballroom and a complete remodelled golf course by Tom Fazio. There will be a spa run by La Mer, a pool and leisure centre, a manicure bar and round-the-clock room service.

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The hotel is owned by businessman JP McManus and his wife Noreen, who bought it from Nama for about €30 million.

Booking s are now being taken for November, with the cheapest rooms costing from €325 per night and suites from €1,995, more expensive than hotels such as Dromoland Castle, which has best available rates from €252 and suites from €702, and Ashford Castle, where best available rates are €285 and suites from €1,250 in November. Some 28 weddings are booked at Adare, which open year round.

"We already have recruited the best part of 100 staff and 50 will be joining in the next few weeks," said Colm Hannon, chief executive of Adare Manor and Luttrellstown Castle, which is also owned by JP McManus and John Magnier.

On Monday it was announced that the new general manager of Adare Manor would be Paul Heery, from the Gleneagles resort in Scotland, where he ws general manager.

The new culinary director is Loughlin Druhan, formerly of the Jumeirah Etihad Towers, Abu Dhabi. The hotel is looking for 50 chefs and kitchen staff at a time when chefs are in high demand.

The Restaurant Association of Ireland says there will be a shortage of 5,000 chefs by next year. "There is still a crisis in the shortage of chefs in the country, and an investment in training is needed urgently," said Adrian Cummins, association chief executive.

Loughlin and some of the team have just finished a nine-day culinary tour of Ireland, meeting almost 100 suppliers and producers of quality and artisan food. From this they will find the building blocks for future recipes in Adare.

Dining experiences at the hotel will include the Oak Room, candlelit and serving haute cuisine in a sparkling setting. The Carriage Restaurant, Bar and Terrace is also the club house for the golf course and will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Drawing Room will be open for breakfast and lunch.

The centrepiece of the manor will be the 132-ft-long Minstrels Gallery where the 185-year old tradition of the Dunraven’s afternoon tea will be served, as will breakfast.

Guests for Adare Manor are already making reservations, and 28 weddings are booked. The hotel will be open year round.

The US is expected to be well represented among the guests, particularly in the summer. Adare Manor is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World marketing group and has won many awards. Mr Hannon was general manager of the Sandy Lane Resort in Barbados, also part-owned by JP McManus, and has already had former guests contacting him about visiting Limerick.

The open day starts at 8am on Thursday. The second recruitment day will be on Saturday, with final recruiting day on Monday, July 17th.