Welcome to Beannchor, Northern Ireland’s leading hospitality group. The Beannchor group (Irish for the city of Bangor in Co Down where the business started), is a rapidly growing hospitality group based in Northern Ireland. The group’s portfolio of brands is diverse and includes hotels, restaurants, bars and night clubs. All of Beannchor’s venues are unique, however they operate with the same aim – to provide the highest possible service standards while delivering a product that is exceptional within its field.
The Group can trace its history back over 30 years, with its founder, Bill Wolsey having originally started out within the pub trade. The Group diversified into the hotel market in 2006 when it opened The Merchant Hotel, a 5-star hotel in an iconic Belfast City Centre building at the heart of the then-newly formed Cathedral Quarter.
After a £16.5 million extension in 2010, The Merchant set new standards in terms of attention to detail and quality of service. To compliment and further enhance the Cathedral Quarter, the Group also opened The Dirty Onion and The National Grande Café in the area, both of which are vibrant bars as well as serving food.
In 2009, amidst the uncertainty of the time, Beannchor opened its first Little Wing Pizzeria in Belfast. Since then, a further nine Little Wings have opened around Northern Ireland with more planned for the future.
In 2016 the group launched Bullitt Hotel following an investment of £6 million. This 4-star hotel with an original and distinctive style proved an immediate success, with phase 2 of the hotel opening in late 2017 adding a new rooftop restaurant and bring the capacity to 75 rooms. Beannchor is currently in the process of expanding the Bullitt brand to a new site in Capel Street, Dublin.
As the founder of the Beannchor Group, Bill can boast over 40 years’ experience in the hospitality sector.
Under Bill’s direction and vision, the Group took the ambitious step of opening the award-winning Merchant Hotel in 2006 which set new standards in terms of attention to detail and quality of service in Northern Ireland. Bill has also instilled a sense of empowerment and loyalty within his employees, meaning the Group has one of the highest employee retention levels in the sector.
Conall has filled many roles in the Group but now concentrates on managing the licenced premises traded by the Group. He has overseen the design, opening and daily management of The Dirty Onion, The National, Sixty6 and most recently Bullitt Hotel. In addition, Conall directly oversees the operation of Ollie’s nightclub (part of The Merchant Hotel).
Conall entered the family business at an early age working weekends in one of the group’s first premises, Jenny Watts bar in Bangor. With over 20 years’ experience in the industry Conall has worked in various roles from waiting and kitchen service to junior and senior management.
James joined the Group in 2010, having qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG he held a number of senior management positions in corporate banking.
In Beannchor James has a wide-ranging remit which includes the finance, procurement, IT and human resources teams as well as being involved in all new development projects.
Having worked in many different areas throughout the group from an early age, Luke has in depth experience of running licensed premises and restaurants. He and the team came up with the brand and concept of a new, cool and authentic Neapolitan pizzeria in Little Wing Pizzerias and, after starting with Ann Street in the city centre, now has 8 outlets with further ambitious expansion plans in the works.
Petra first joined Beannchor in 2000. Having progressed through the ranks, Petra now has overall responsibility for marketing the Beannchor portfolio in its entirety. With 15 years’ experience in a dedicated marketing role, Petra has extensive knowledge in communications, branding, and marketing strategy and heads of team of 6 marketing and design specialists. Given the diverse nature of The Beannchor Group’s portfolio, Petra has an innate understating of crafting bespoke marketing solutions for everything from family- friendly pizzerias to 5 star hotels. Petra currently holds a position on the board of both an industry and a charitable organisation.
After graduating from Queens University with a degree in psychology Sorcha went to work as a bar tender in the newly opened Café Ceol in Bangor. From there she progressed through the company and currently holding the position of group operations manager and company secretary for Beannchor. Sorcha has held a number of board positions on industry bodies and charities. She is currently a trustee of the Cathedral Quarter Trust.
Our Ethos
At Beannchor we aim to provide a first-class experience for guests, whilst also remaining mindful of our impact on the local and global environment.
