A GLASGOW-based company behind a number of controversial awards events due to take place in the north over the coming days is still listing non-trading businesses among its finalists, The Irish News can reveal.
Creative Oceanic is behind the Northern Ireland Restaurant Awards, due to take place on Monday, and the Northern Ireland Hospitality Awards, advertised for two weeks later in the La Mon Hotel.
Following reporting by this newspaper, Creative Oceanic moved to erase a number of both trading and non-trading restaurants from its shortlist for Monday’s event.
But despite the company removing a five-star castle resort in Co Mayo from the shortlist for the Northern Ireland Hospitality Awards, the event is still listing businesses which haven’t existed for several years.
The finalists for the north’s best cinema experience include IMC Omagh, which closed in April 2022 and the Courtyard Cinema in Belfast, a short-lived venture launched by White’s Tavern in 2015.
The ‘best dining experience’ category shortlists four restaurants which no longer exist.
Vanilla in Newcastle, Katch 27 in Kircubbin and Solo, on Belfast’s Wellington Place, have all been closed for a number of years. Strabane’s The Hidden Pearl, closed in March 2022.
Read more:
- Caution urged over NI hospitality awards after hundreds of finalists named - including restaurants that are shut
- Glasgow firm behind controversial awards events refuses to disclose details of ownership
Creative Oceanic has also shortlisted Derry’s Foyleside shopping centre in the ‘sports venue of the year’ category, while the Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim and the Culloden Estate and Spa in Holywood, have been nominated for ‘city hotel of the year’.
The company, which also trades as Oceanic Group, Oceanic Events and Oceanic Media, has not responded to questions from The Irish News.
It’s behind dozens of similar awards events staged across Britain and Ireland.
Senior figures within the north’s hospitality industry have already voiced concern over the upcoming awards events here.
The chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, Colin Neill, said there is little or no transparency in respect of the judging or nomination process.
“We appeal to anyone who has been earmarked for an award like this to be very careful and double check its authenticity before proceeding,” he said.
The Glasgow business has not listed a venue for Monday’s Northern Ireland Restaurant Awards in any of its promotional material, but it’s understood the La Mon Hotel will host both its upcoming events.
The hotel declined to confirm whether the awards will go ahead when contacted by The Irish News.
Creative Oceanic has also refused to explain why the Belfast branches of Zizzi and Frankie & Benny’s were dropped from its shortlist.
A spokesperson for Zizzi, which was nominated in the ‘Italian restaurant of the year’ category, said the company was not aware it had been nominated or removed from the awards.
It’s understood Frankie & Benny’s, which was shortlisted as ‘restaurant of the year’ in Northern Ireland, had no input in respect of its nomination and subsequent omission from the awards.
Creative Oceanic has also refused to clarify the name of its registered company name.
A firm with the name Oceanic Events Ltd was registered with Companies House in 2021, with an address based at a virtual office business in London.
According to Companies House, Creative Oceanic Ltd was dissolved more than a decade ago.
Its former owner, Irfan Younis, was linked to a series of various enterprises bearing the Oceanic name. All are now listed as dissolved.
In a previous statement, a spokesperson for the Glasgow marketing business said it was “inaccurate” to describe Mr Younis as the company owner.
Mr Younis’ Linkedin page continues to list and link him to the Oceanic Group and a number of its entities.
It also states he is co-founder of Connect Publishing. Companies House lists Yasmin Mahmood as the owner of Connect Publishing Group.
On her Linkedin page, Ms Mahmood is described as CEO of Connect Publishing and a non-executive director of Oceanic Events.
Connect Publishing is responsible for 'Business Connect', an online news site which has published glowing articles about Creative Oceanic's Northern Ireland awards events.
