Blogs

Meet the chefs & teams of Ireland’s professional kitchens, with Chef Network The Chef Network community brings together chefs at all levels from all sectors across Ireland. In a Hotel & Restaurant Times regular column we meet some members and hear from them what inspires and motivates them, their career challenges and opportunities, and how they believe we can improve the industry. In this edition, we meet Ciaran McGill. Ciaran started his career with a placement in One Pico where he eventually worked his way up to head chef. He is now Head Chef for Gather & Gather. LONG QUESTIONS Why did you become a Chef? I’ve always ...

ABOUT NIAMH CONDON With over 20 years’ experience in the catering sector and over 8 years in aged care, Niamh set up Dining with Dignity in 2019 to provide catering consultancy training in the healthcare sector, primarily in aged care. Niamh has collaborated globally with dietitians and speech & language therapists on how best to create safe food for those who struggle to swallow. She has also been asked to contribute to a book for UNESCO and a series of books for Breakthrough Cancer Research. FROM HOSPITALITY TO HEALTHCARE At the age of 12, I started my cooking career in my Uncles Deli and little did I know it, but it was an introduction ...

Meet the chefs & teams of Ireland’s professional kitchens, with Chef Network The Chef Network community brings together chefs at all levels from all sectors across Ireland. In a Hotel & Restaurant Times regular column we meet some members and hear from them what inspires and motivates them, their career challenges and opportunities, and how they believe we can improve the industry. In this edition, we meet Peadar Mc Namee . Peadar started his career doing part time work in a local kitchen before moving to Brooklyn and then on to the South of France. He now travels the world on a private yacht cooking for high profile guests and celebrities. ...

Meet the chefs & teams of Ireland’s professional kitchens, with Chef Network The Chef Network community brings together chefs at all levels from all sectors across Ireland. In a Hotel & Restaurant Times regular column we meet some members and hear from them what inspires and motivates them, their career challenges and opportunities, and how they believe we can improve the industry. In this edition, we meet Andrew Walsh . Andrew has gone from watching his brother in the kitchen in Co. Mayo to running the Michelin starred Cure Restaurant in Singapore. LONG QUESTIONS 1. Why di d you become a Chef? I became a chef as my older ...

ABOUT SARAH BROWNE Sarah is originally from Co. Kerry but is now working as a chef de partie in Cava Bodega in Galway. Sarah has studied and honed her culinary skills in CIT and LYIT and has extensive experience working in tourism including at the world-famous Avoca Molls Gap in Kerry. Sarah is from a dairy farming background and is a passionate believer that sustainability in food production is critical and that chefs and producers are key stakeholders in the future of sustainable food production. TASTE THE ATLANTIC YOUNG CHEF AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME: MY JOURNEY ...

Meet the chefs & teams of Ireland’s professional kitchens, with Chef Network The Chef Network community brings together chefs at all levels from all sectors across Ireland. In a Hotel & Restaurant Times regular column we meet some members and hear from them what inspires and motivates them, their career challenges and opportunities, and how they believe we can improve the industry. In this edition, we meet Marguerite Keogh . Marguerite grew up around food and fresh produce. She is currently Head Chef in the Five Fields in London. LONG QUESTIONS 1. Why did you become a Chef? I guess I always had a love for food, from baking and cooking ...

ABOUT MEGAN WALSH Hello there. My name is Megan, and I live in the South West of Ireland. This year I am studying for my Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Degree in Culinary Arts at Munster Technological University (MTU) Kerry. As part of my degree, I was required to design a food blog around a particular topic that I enjoy talking about and that is when I heard about Mood Food. MOOD FOODS What is Mood Food? That is the question that I have been researching for the past few weeks, and I was slightly surprised by the amount of information I found. Before I did this research, I had no idea that your mind and gut were so connected and that it was ...

ABOUT MILENA BOZHKOVA Milena Bozhkova is 33 years old and originally from Bulgaria. She has been living in Northern Ireland for 14 years. DO YOU LIVE LIFE WITH A PURPOSE? PLANT-BASED FOOD 7 years ago, I was riddled with stomach pain, and I had already had my gallbladder removed at that stage. It was a constant trial of different kinds of diets/lifestyle changes to help me overcome my health issues, but nothing seemed to work. Gluten free, paleo, keto, you name it, I’d tried it. A friend of mine suggested that I should try to go vegan for a week and see if it would make a difference. And so, I did, and I haven’t looked back. I cut out ...

ABOUT MEERAN GANI MANZOOR I am Meeran Gani Manzoor, I am the head chef for Blue Haven Collections. As part of the company, we have 2 different properties, Old Bank House, Kinsale and Blue Haven Hotel, Kinsale. I manage both properties, which include a variety of eateries, including Fishmarket Bistro, RARE, a high end fine dining restaurant, Hamlets Street Food Gastro Garden, Old Bank House Café and Vikkis Modern Tapas Restaurant in Cork. Tabasu @ Old Bank House, a regional Indian tapas restaurant, is our latest venture. I gained my culinary degree from studying in the University of West London and worked in the Metropolitan Hotel London, Dorchester Collections, ...

ABOUT MATTHEW BROWNIE Matthew Brownie, from New Zealand, has been a professional chef for 27 years & is the Director/Owner of his own snack company (The Skibbereen Food Company). Formerly, Matthew was a demonstration Chef for The Simply Better Brand for Dunnes Stores and a Writer for The Southern Star Newspaper in West Cork and for The Irish Foodie (Quince Publishing) Matthew lives in West Cork, Skibbereen. THE INDUSTRY I LOVE, LEFT BEHIND Let’s go back 30 years and here’s a skinny New Zealander that loves cricket, works as a Mig and Gas Welder and is passionate about NZ rugby in his hometown of Whanganui, New Zealand. A quick ...