Moorings Restaurant reflects village's harmony and warmth

Under owner Charlie Oldcroft's stewardship, the restaurant has become an integral part of the local community, fostering a welcoming atmosphere that transcends boundaries.

As Charlie marks seven years at the helm, the Moorings continues to embrace its cross-community ethos.

The bar and restaurant look down on the collection of boats that gather in the marina with a perfect outdoor area to take in the tranquillity of the Erne water.

Charlie and his son Chris thought it would be the perfect opportunity to take over the business when the opportunity arose.

“Chris my son, he cooked all around the north coast and I had just retired and done my cooking qualifications,” Charlie explained.

“We had a place in Ballycastle and we used to drink here years ago when I was younger and we would have come down to speak to Jeff, the previous owner, and the next thing we’re here. 

"I thought we’ll give it a go for a few months and then people supported us which was good and we sort of stuck at it, there was a few awards along the way.

"Obviously, with every business, there is ups and downs, but we stuck at it and we’re here now. That’s really how it came about.”

After retiring from his previous job, Charlie had no intention of taking things easy and instead wanted to take on the hospitality industry and try his hand at running his own business.

An opportunity in the form of the Moorings allowed him to do just that and despite living, and travelling up and down from Coleraine, Charlie decided Bellanaleck and Fermanagh was the place for him.

“My son had the skill level I think and having retired from my previous job, I felt it, I wanted a personal challenge,” he continued. “I just didn’t want to retire, become a pensioner and do nothing. I think it’s definitely been a great challenge.

"The one thing I did learn is you do inherit the title ‘businessman’ but it doesn’t make you one. You have to work hard and every day you learn something that you could do better. So, you never stop learning.”

The restaurant offers a range of different cuisine with the majority coming from local produce with owner Charlie insistent on providing a reasonable cost for customers.

The majority of the Moorings service comes in the form of walk-in dining for people from all over, with occasional weddings also availing of the serene setting.

“We would like to do more weddings but primarily it's casual dining,” said Charlie. “We keep the food honest, it's all fresh, it's local produce and we aim at local families and the local boating community.

"There are 8,000 cars that pass here every day so, we’re looking at people travelling across Fermanagh, and we do have christenings, confirmations and we have had a few weddings but any important family occasions or private bookings.”

The weekend is the time to visit with the doors opening at 4pm on Friday, midday on Saturday and Sunday, and staying open to midnight on those days aside from a 7.30 closing time on Sunday evening.

Altogether, the business employs four full-time staff as part-time staff members will now begin to increase with the change in season and more heads coming down to the waterside to, hopefully, make use of the sunny Fermanagh weather.

“I think a lot of people who are in hospitality a long time are looking at their options, and this time of year, after Easter, we start looking at season staff,” said Charlie.

“We get people coming back from college, we have friends of theirs who might come and get a job. At the moment, it’s a small number of staff but, when we do become busy, we will have maybe double that with staff to cover the different shifts.”

Owning the restaurant has provided Charlie and the rest of his family the opportunity to connect with many different faces from different parts of the world which has been one of the most rewarding perks of the job as described by Charlie in his tenure.

“I have met people I could never have possibly met from all over the world. It’s just been amazing. People from New York, around America, Australia, in recent weeks we’ve had Bluegrass and the last guy was from Montana and the one before that from Virginia, and you're thinking ‘How did they find Ireland and then Bellanaleck?’

"I find myself being a part of people’s lives as babies and then you see them years later in primary school or older ones who you then see driving or coming down with a boyfriend or a girlfriend so, we’ve seen families grow and sadly lose family members over the years we’ve been here."

He described a "warm welcoming atmosphere for families".

"If something isn’t right, we’ll fix it, and thankfully, that isn’t too often but certainly, I love to chat and people like to see you about the place to make sure everything is ok and that’s probably the best part of it, is to meet different people.”

The Moorings owner says he is always determined to change with times and evolve to cater for what its customers need with them always being at the forefront of the business’ intentions.

Even with a host of awards since taking over, the intentions of providing a good service and a friendly atmosphere have never left the Moorings’ foundation.

Charlie said: “I think with the awards came expectations, people saw ‘Award-winning restaurant’ and expected fine dining whereas it's just honest and good food. Our butcher is local in Ballinamallard, and other things are also bought locally.

"It's great to be recognised with the awards but sometimes a customer just telling you ‘that was a lovely meal’ or just bringing friends along, that in itself is like an award.”