Advisory built on a working hospitality business.
Rye River Hospitality is led by Shona Bourke — owner of Rye River Cafe in Kilcock and a hands-on hospitality operator with 25+ years on the floor.
Operator credentials
Owner — Rye River Cafe
St Joseph's Hall, School Street, Kilcock, Co. Kildare
Multiple award-winning restaurant
See reviews on Google →The advice you get is the advice we live by.
Shona Bourke founded Rye River Hospitality after years of doing the work herself — running a busy cafe, building a team, navigating supplier relationships and squeezing margin out of every category. The cafe she still owns and operates, Rye River Cafe in Kilcock, is the proving ground for everything we recommend to clients.
That matters because hospitality consultancy is too often delivered by people who have never run a service. Shona builds her recommendations from the operator's seat: what actually works on a Saturday morning, what your team will adopt, what will hold up at 200 covers.
She works with cafes, restaurants and start-ups across Ireland — on margin, suppliers, operations, coffee programmes and team development. Engagements are tailored, practical and led personally.
25+
Years in hospitality
20+
Leadership roles in iconic hospitality venues
Hands-on
Every engagement
Specialty coffee, judged at the highest level.
Craig Bourke is our Coffee Specialist and a judge for coffee awards in Ireland. He has spent many years working as a barista in leading specialty cafes across Australia and Ireland, building a deep understanding of what separates an average coffee programme from a great one.
Craig leads our coffee programme advisory and barista training — from bean selection and supplier relationships to dial-in routines, milk technique, drink consistency and team standards. His goal is simple: every cup that leaves your bar should be one your customers come back for.
Whether you're opening a new cafe, refreshing an existing programme or training a new team, Craig brings the standards and detail of the specialty world into the reality of a busy hospitality business.
AU + IE
Specialty cafe experience
Judge
Irish coffee awards
Hands-on
Barista training & programmes
Specialist credentials
Coffee Specialist
Coffee programmes, barista training and quality standards.
Judge — Irish coffee awards