{ "name": "HappyChef Star Chefs", "language": "en", "countries": [ "IE", "MT" ], "updated": "2026-10-14", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/", "method": "Fame score = HappyChef editorial assessment: recognition (guides, stars, awards; max 40) + media (TV, books, reach; max 40) + press (how positive and widespread the coverage is; max 20). Every fact is sourced; citations [n] in the pages point at the sources listed here.", "license": "Text © HappyChef. Facts may be quoted with a link to the page.", "ranking": "Updated monthly. Chefs rank on a 6-month weighted average of the fame score (the newest month weighs most); two chefs swap only when the one below leads by more than 1 point(s), and a chef enters the top 10 only when leading number 10 by more than 2 points. \"history\" lists each month's rank (null = outside the top 10), assessment and average.", "chefs": [ { "rank": 1, "movement": null, "id": "neven-maguire", "name": "Neven Maguire", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/neven-maguire.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 82, "recognition": 26, "media": 38, "press": 18, "sixMonthAverage": 82 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 1, "score": 82, "smoothed": 82 } ], "tagline": "The Cavan chef who made a border village a destination and became Ireland's favourite TV cook.", "rankReason": "Decades of RTÉ cookery series, with the broadcaster's largest audience for a cookery programme, a long shelf of cookbooks, MacNean House in Blacklion with Georgina Campbell's Restaurant of the Year 2007, and warm, widespread press to this day.", "born": { "date": null, "place": null, "country": "IE" }, "website": "https://www.nevenmaguire.com/", "knownFor": [ "MacNean House & Restaurant in Blacklion", "Long-running RTÉ cookery series", "Neven's Food Trails travel shows", "The Neven Maguire Cookery School", "Bestselling family cookbooks" ], "bio": [ "Neven Maguire grew up in the family restaurant in Blacklion, Co Cavan, which his parents Joe and Vera opened in 1969. He started cooking beside his mother at twelve, trained at Fermanagh College and then worked in Michelin-starred kitchens in Berlin, Luxembourg and San Sebastián.", "At 21 he won the Euro-Toques young chef award. Since 2001 he and his wife Amelda have run MacNean House & Restaurant, which Georgina Campbell's guide named Restaurant of the Year in 2007.", "He has been on television since he was 21 and holds the record for RTÉ's largest audience for a cookery programme. His travel series took viewers to Italy and Portugal, and in 2014 he opened a cookery school next to the restaurant.", "Today MacNean House employs around 60 people and has 20 bedrooms, yet it still serves one sitting a night." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "MacNean House & Restaurant", "city": "Blacklion", "country": "IE", "role": "chef-owner", "from": "2001", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "The family restaurant his parents opened in 1969; run by Neven and Amelda since 2001, with rooms and a cookery school.", "source": "https://www.nevenmaguire.com/about/" }, { "name": "Roscoff", "city": "Belfast", "country": "GB", "role": "trainee", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "His first placement, under Paul Rankin.", "source": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123" }, { "name": "Grand Hotel restaurant", "city": "Berlin", "country": "DE", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "One of the Michelin-starred kitchens where he worked abroad.", "source": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123" }, { "name": "Lea Linster", "city": "Luxembourg", "country": "LU", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "One of the Michelin-starred kitchens where he worked abroad.", "source": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123" }, { "name": "Arzak", "city": "San Sebastián", "country": "ES", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "One of the Michelin-starred kitchens where he worked abroad.", "source": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.nevenmaguire.com/about/", "title": "About - Neven Maguire - MacNean House & Restaurant", "publisher": "MacNean House & Restaurant", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123", "title": "Neven Maguire: Cavan's own home-grown star", "publisher": "The Anglo-Celt", "date": "2010-05-27", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/a-slice-of-neven-1.75863", "title": "A slice of Neven", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "1996-08-10", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://ireland-guide.com/award/restaurant-of-the-year-2007.1526.html", "title": "2007 Award Winners: Restaurant of the Year 2007", "publisher": "Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide", "date": "2007", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/neven-maguire-theres-no-hidden-side-to-neven-maguire-what-you-see-is-what-you-get", "title": "Neven Maguire: There's no hidden side to Neven Maguire, what you see is what you get", "publisher": "TheTaste.ie", "date": "2016-11-02", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/neven-maguire-cookery-school-review-by-niamh-mannion", "title": "Neven Maguire Cookery School Review", "publisher": "TheTaste.ie", "date": "2015-08-04", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://presspack.rte.ie/?p=1683044", "title": "Neven's Portuguese Food Trails", "publisher": "RTÉ", "date": "2025-01-29", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.farmersjournal.ie/life/features/food-beats-and-passion-neven-brings-the-flavour-886613", "title": "Food, beats and passion – Neven brings the flavour", "publisher": "Irish Farmers Journal", "date": "2025-10-01", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "family-restaurant-in-blacklion", "date": "1969", "type": "birth", "title": "A Family Restaurant on the Border", "summary": "Joe and Vera Maguire open a restaurant in the Cavan village of Blacklion. Their son Neven will grow up in its kitchen and learn to cook at his mother's side.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/neven-maguire/family-restaurant-in-blacklion.html", "facts": [ "Joe and Vera Maguire opened the MacNean in Blacklion in 1969.", "A bomb closed the restaurant four years later; it reopened in 1989.", "Neven began cooking with his mother at the age of twelve.", "He was the first boy in his school to take Home Economics." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/a-slice-of-neven-1.75863", "title": "A slice of Neven", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "1996-08-10", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123", "title": "Neven Maguire: Cavan's own home-grown star", "publisher": "The Anglo-Celt", "date": "2010-05-27", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.farmersjournal.ie/life/features/food-beats-and-passion-neven-brings-the-flavour-886613", "title": "Food, beats and passion – Neven brings the flavour", "publisher": "Irish Farmers Journal", "date": "2025-10-01", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "training-in-europes-top-kitchens", "date": "1993", "type": "education", "title": "From Catering College to Europe's Top Kitchens", "summary": "Fresh out of catering college, the teenage Neven is already cooking in Blacklion. Placements in Belfast and in Michelin-starred kitchens in Berlin, Luxembourg and San Sebastián sharpen his skills.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/neven-maguire/training-in-europes-top-kitchens.html", "facts": [ "After his Junior Certificate he studied at Fermanagh College.", "His first placement was at Roscoff in Belfast, under Paul Rankin.", "He worked in Michelin-starred kitchens in Berlin, Luxembourg and San Sebastián.", "In 1993 a food writer found him in the kitchen, still a teenager just out of catering college." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123", "title": "Neven Maguire: Cavan's own home-grown star", "publisher": "The Anglo-Celt", "date": "2010-05-27", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://ireland-guide.com/award/georgina-campbell-award-2012.2019.html", "title": "Neven Maguire - Georgina Campbell Award 2012 - for Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry", "publisher": "Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide", "date": "2012", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://ireland-guide.com/award/restaurant-of-the-year-2007.1526.html", "title": "2007 Award Winners: Restaurant of the Year 2007", "publisher": "Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide", "date": "2007", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "guide" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "young-chef-of-the-year", "date": "1996", "type": "award", "title": "Ireland's Young Chef Steps Into the Spotlight", "summary": "At 21 Neven wins the Euro-Toques young chef award, starts appearing on television and catches the eye of the national press, all while cooking in his family's bistro in Blacklion.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/neven-maguire/young-chef-of-the-year.html", "facts": [ "Neven won the Bailey's Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year award at 21.", "In 1996 The Irish Times profiled him at 23, cooking at the MacNean Bistro.", "He also won the best dessert prize at the Wedgwood competition and taught at the catering college in Enniskillen.", "He has been on television since the age of 21." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123", "title": "Neven Maguire: Cavan's own home-grown star", "publisher": "The Anglo-Celt", "date": "2010-05-27", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/news/a-slice-of-neven-1.75863", "title": "A slice of Neven", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "1996-08-10", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/neven-maguire-theres-no-hidden-side-to-neven-maguire-what-you-see-is-what-you-get", "title": "Neven Maguire: There's no hidden side to Neven Maguire, what you see is what you get", "publisher": "TheTaste.ie", "date": "2016-11-02", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "restaurant-of-the-year", "date": "2007", "type": "award", "title": "Restaurant of the Year in a Border Village", "summary": "Six years after Neven and Amelda take over the family business, Georgina Campbell's guide names MacNean House & Bistro its Restaurant of the Year and calls it a national treasure.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/neven-maguire/restaurant-of-the-year.html", "facts": [ "Neven and Amelda have run MacNean House & Restaurant since 2001.", "Georgina Campbell's Ireland Awards named MacNean Restaurant of the Year 2007.", "The restaurant was refurbished and added a small bar for the 2007 season.", "In 2012 Neven received the guide's award for Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.nevenmaguire.com/about/", "title": "About - Neven Maguire - MacNean House & Restaurant", "publisher": "MacNean House & Restaurant", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://ireland-guide.com/award/restaurant-of-the-year-2007.1526.html", "title": "2007 Award Winners: Restaurant of the Year 2007", "publisher": "Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide", "date": "2007", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://ireland-guide.com/award/georgina-campbell-award-2012.2019.html", "title": "Neven Maguire - Georgina Campbell Award 2012 - for Outstanding Contribution to the Hospitality Industry", "publisher": "Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide", "date": "2012", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "guide" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "home-chef-on-rte", "date": "2010", "type": "media", "title": "Ireland's Home Chef on RTÉ", "summary": "Neven Maguire: Home Chef finishes its run on RTÉ, another series is on the way and Neven is shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year. The TV chef from Cavan has become a household name.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/neven-maguire/home-chef-on-rte.html", "facts": [ "By 2010 Neven had two TV series behind him, with Neven Maguire: Home Chef just finished on RTÉ.", "He had written seven cookbooks by 2010.", "He was one of 24 finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in 2010.", "He holds the record for RTÉ's largest audience for a cookery programme." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123", "title": "Neven Maguire: Cavan's own home-grown star", "publisher": "The Anglo-Celt", "date": "2010-05-27", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/neven-maguire-theres-no-hidden-side-to-neven-maguire-what-you-see-is-what-you-get", "title": "Neven Maguire: There's no hidden side to Neven Maguire, what you see is what you get", "publisher": "TheTaste.ie", "date": "2016-11-02", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "cookery-school-opens", "date": "2014", "type": "business", "title": "A Lifelong Dream: The Cookery School Opens", "summary": "Next door to MacNean House, Neven opens his own cookery school, with small classes, a station for every pair of cooks and courses from parent-and-child mornings to a two-day Home Chef course.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/neven-maguire/cookery-school-opens.html", "facts": [ "The Neven Maguire Cookery School opened in 2014, beside MacNean House.", "Classes are kept to no more than 10 to 12 people.", "Each pair of cooks gets its own workstation, hob and oven.", "Teaching was a long-held ambition that the purpose-built school fulfilled." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/neven-maguire-cookery-school-review-by-niamh-mannion", "title": "Neven Maguire Cookery School Review", "publisher": "TheTaste.ie", "date": "2015-08-04", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.nevenmaguire.com/about/", "title": "About - Neven Maguire - MacNean House & Restaurant", "publisher": "MacNean House & Restaurant", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.anglocelt.ie/?p=32123", "title": "Neven Maguire: Cavan's own home-grown star", "publisher": "The Anglo-Celt", "date": "2010-05-27", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "portuguese-food-trails", "date": "2025-01", "type": "media", "title": "On the Food Trail from Italy to Portugal", "summary": "After taking RTÉ viewers through Italy, Neven's Food Trails heads for Portugal in a seven-part series, while MacNean House back home grows to 60 staff and 20 bedrooms.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/neven-maguire/portuguese-food-trails.html", "facts": [ "Neven's Italian Food Trails ran over six half-hour episodes, from Venice to Sorrento.", "Neven's Portuguese Food Trails, the third series, aired on RTÉ One in seven episodes in early 2025.", "By 2025 MacNean House had 60 employees and 20 bedrooms.", "It still serves one sitting a night, for no more than 60 guests." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://presspack.rte.ie/?p=1683044", "title": "Neven's Portuguese Food Trails", "publisher": "RTÉ", "date": "2025-01-29", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://programmesales.rte.ie/programme/nevens_italian_food_trails", "title": "Neven's Italian Food Trails", "publisher": "RTÉ Programme Sales", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.farmersjournal.ie/life/features/food-beats-and-passion-neven-brings-the-flavour-886613", "title": "Food, beats and passion – Neven brings the flavour", "publisher": "Irish Farmers Journal", "date": "2025-10-01", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" } ], "updated": "2026-10-13" }, { "rank": 2, "movement": null, "id": "darina-allen", "name": "Darina Allen", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/darina-allen.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 79, "recognition": 28, "media": 34, "press": 17, "sixMonthAverage": 79 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 2, "score": 79, "smoothed": 79 } ], "tagline": "The founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School and Ireland's best-known cooking teacher.", "rankReason": "Founder of Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983, nine series of Simply Delicious, award-winning books such as Forgotten Skills and 30 Years at Ballymaloe, IACP Cooking Teacher of the Year and a founding figure of Ireland's farmers' markets.", "born": { "date": null, "place": null, "country": "IE" }, "website": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/", "knownFor": [ "Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry", "The Simply Delicious TV series and books", "Forgotten Skills of Cooking", "Ireland's farmers' market movement", "Slow Food in Ireland" ], "bio": [ "Darina Allen studied hotel management in Dublin and then went to Ballymaloe House in East Cork to learn from Myrtle Allen, whose menus were built on local produce. She married Myrtle's son Tim in 1970 and began teaching cookery from their home at Kinoith.", "In 1983 she and her brother Rory O'Connell founded Ballymaloe Cookery School, which now sits on a 100-acre organic farm. She presented nine series of Simply Delicious on Irish television and has written more than ten books.", "Her awards include IACP Cooking Teacher of the Year in 2005, the André Simon award for Forgotten Skills in 2010 and an Irish Book Award for 30 Years at Ballymaloe in 2013. She helped set up Ireland's farmers' market movement and represents Ireland in Slow Food." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "city": "Shanagarry", "country": "IE", "role": "co-founder and teacher", "from": "1983", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "Founded with her brother Rory O'Connell on the family farm at Kinoith; a cookery school rather than a restaurant.", "source": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/ballymaloe-cookery-school-story" }, { "name": "Ballymaloe House", "city": "Shanagarry", "country": "IE", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "Myrtle Allen's country-house restaurant, where Darina learned and later helped Myrtle teach winter classes.", "source": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/ballymaloe-cookery-school-story" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/darina-allen", "title": "Darina Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/darina-allen/", "title": "Darina Allen - Oxford Food Symposium", "publisher": "Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery", "date": "2014-03-09", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/ballymaloe-cookery-school-story", "title": "Ballymaloe Cookery School Story", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/food/11363215.No_wonder_Irish_eyes_are_smiling/", "title": "Helen Peacocke meets foodie heroine and dynamic Irish chef Darina Allen", "publisher": "The Oxford Times", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "first-day-at-ballymaloe", "date": "1970", "type": "career", "title": "A Student Finds Her Way to Ballymaloe", "summary": "A young hotel-management graduate goes to learn from Myrtle Allen at Ballymaloe House. She falls in love with the food, the farm and Myrtle's son Tim, and marries him in 1970.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/darina-allen/first-day-at-ballymaloe.html", "facts": [ "Myrtle Allen opened Ballymaloe House as a restaurant in 1964.", "Darina graduated in hotel management in Dublin.", "A tutor advised her to seek out Myrtle, whose menus were built on local produce.", "Tim and Darina Allen married in 1970." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.ballymaloe.ie/our-story/our-history/", "title": "Our History", "publisher": "Ballymaloe House", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/darina-allen/", "title": "Darina Allen - Oxford Food Symposium", "publisher": "Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery", "date": "2014-03-09", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/ballymaloe-cookery-school-story", "title": "Ballymaloe Cookery School Story", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "ballymaloe-cookery-school-founded", "date": "1983", "type": "business", "title": "Brother and Sister Open Ballymaloe Cookery School", "summary": "Darina Allen and her brother Rory O'Connell turn her home classes into Ballymaloe Cookery School. It grows into a school on its own organic farm, with students from around the world.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/darina-allen/ballymaloe-cookery-school-founded.html", "facts": [ "Darina Allen and Rory O'Connell founded Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983.", "The school sits on a 100-acre organic farm that supplies its kitchens.", "It grew from a small kitchen next to her house into a converted apple store with four hands-on kitchens.", "It is the only cookery school in the world on its own organically certified farm." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/ballymaloe-cookery-school-story", "title": "Ballymaloe Cookery School Story", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/", "title": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/food/11363215.No_wonder_Irish_eyes_are_smiling/", "title": "Helen Peacocke meets foodie heroine and dynamic Irish chef Darina Allen", "publisher": "The Oxford Times", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/darina-allen", "title": "Darina Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "farmers-market-movement", "date": "1996", "type": "other", "title": "Bringing Farmers' Markets Back to Cork", "summary": "Inspired by a trip to San Francisco, Darina and Myrtle Allen open a new farmers' market in Cork. Darina becomes a founding figure of Ireland's farmers' market movement and of Slow Food in Ireland.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/darina-allen/farmers-market-movement.html", "facts": [ "A 1995 visit to San Francisco inspired Darina's interest in farmers' markets.", "In 1996 she and Myrtle Allen opened what was called the first new-age farmers' market in Cork.", "She helped set up the Farmers' Market Movement in Ireland.", "She chairs the Midleton Farmers' Market and represents Ireland on the Slow Food council." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/food/11363215.No_wonder_Irish_eyes_are_smiling/", "title": "Helen Peacocke meets foodie heroine and dynamic Irish chef Darina Allen", "publisher": "The Oxford Times", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/darina-allen", "title": "Darina Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/darina-allen/", "title": "Darina Allen - Oxford Food Symposium", "publisher": "Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery", "date": "2014-03-09", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "cooking-teacher-of-the-year", "date": "2005", "type": "award", "title": "Cooking Teacher of the Year", "summary": "The International Association of Culinary Professionals names Darina Allen its Cooking Teacher of the Year. It crowns a career built on teaching, after nine series of Simply Delicious on Irish television.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/darina-allen/cooking-teacher-of-the-year.html", "facts": [ "Darina Allen won the IACP Cooking Teacher of the Year award in 2005.", "She was named Veuve Clicquot Businesswoman of the Year in 2001.", "Her book Easy Entertaining won an IACP award in 2006.", "She presented nine series of Simply Delicious on Irish television." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/darina-allen", "title": "Darina Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/food/11363215.No_wonder_Irish_eyes_are_smiling/", "title": "Helen Peacocke meets foodie heroine and dynamic Irish chef Darina Allen", "publisher": "The Oxford Times", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/darina-allen/", "title": "Darina Allen - Oxford Food Symposium", "publisher": "Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery", "date": "2014-03-09", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "forgotten-skills", "date": "2010", "type": "book", "title": "Forgotten Skills Wins the André Simon Award", "summary": "Darina Allen's Forgotten Skills of Cooking, a book about the old crafts of the farmhouse kitchen, wins the André Simon Food Book of the Year. A new compact edition follows years later.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/darina-allen/forgotten-skills.html", "facts": [ "Forgotten Skills won the André Simon award in 2010.", "The same year it was named Listowel Food Fair Book of the Year.", "A new, more compact edition of the book was published later." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.oxfordsymposium.org.uk/darina-allen/", "title": "Darina Allen - Oxford Food Symposium", "publisher": "Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery", "date": "2014-03-09", "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/darina-allen", "title": "Darina Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/blog-posts/hot-off-the-press-a-new-edition-of-darinas-forgotten-skills-has-just-hit-the-shelves", "title": "Hot off the Press: A new edition of Darina's Forgotten Skills has just hit the shelves", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/", "title": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" }, { "id": "thirty-years-at-ballymaloe", "date": "2013", "type": "honour", "title": "Thirty Years, a Feast and a Lifetime Award", "summary": "The cookery school turns 30. Darina marks it with a book that wins an Irish Book Award, a lifetime achievement award from the Guild of Food Writers and the launch of the Ballymaloe Literary Festival.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/darina-allen/thirty-years-at-ballymaloe.html", "facts": [ "30 Years at Ballymaloe was named Cookbook of the Year at the Irish Book Awards in 2013.", "The Guild of Food Writers gave Darina its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2013.", "In 2013 she helped launch the Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine.", "The school marked its 30th anniversary with a celebration feast in September 2013." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/darina-allen", "title": "Darina Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/leisure/food/11363215.No_wonder_Irish_eyes_are_smiling/", "title": "Helen Peacocke meets foodie heroine and dynamic Irish chef Darina Allen", "publisher": "The Oxford Times", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/ballymaloe-cookery-school-story", "title": "Ballymaloe Cookery School Story", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-13", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-13" } ], "updated": "2026-10-13" }, { "rank": 3, "movement": null, "id": "richard-corrigan", "name": "Richard Corrigan", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/richard-corrigan.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 77, "recognition": 30, "media": 30, "press": 17, "sixMonthAverage": 77 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 3, "score": 77, "smoothed": 77 } ], "tagline": "The Meath farm boy who won Michelin stars in London and built a restaurant group from Mayfair to Cavan.", "rankReason": "Michelin stars at Fulham Road (1994) and Lindsay House (1997), Bentley's and Corrigan's Mayfair, Evening Standard and AA Restaurant of the Year, the Caterer's Restaurateur of the Year 2018, years on BBC's Great British Menu and Virginia Park Lodge in Cavan.", "born": { "date": null, "place": "Ballivor", "country": "IE" }, "website": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/", "knownFor": [ "Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill in London", "Corrigan's Mayfair", "Virginia Park Lodge in Co Cavan", "BBC's Great British Menu", "Two Michelin-starred London kitchens" ], "bio": [ "Richard Corrigan is a native of Ballivor, Co Meath, and grew up with a love of farm and country life. At 14 he started in the kitchen of the Kirwan Arms Hotel in Athboy, then worked in hotels in the Netherlands from the age of 17 before moving to London.", "In London he cooked at the Oak Room and ran the kitchen at Mulligan's in Mayfair. He won a Michelin star at Fulham Road in 1994 and another at Lindsay House in Soho in 1997.", "In 2005 he bought and reopened Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill, and in 2008 he opened Corrigan's Mayfair, which was named the Evening Standard's Restaurant of the Year. His group, the Corrigan Collection, now also runs Daffodil Mulligan, an Irish restaurant near Old Street, the Portrait Restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery and two venues in Co Cavan.", "Since 2013 he has owned Virginia Park Lodge, an estate by Lough Ramor in Co Cavan. A regular on BBC's Great British Menu, he was named the Caterer's Restaurateur of the Year in 2018." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "Kirwan Arms Hotel", "city": "Athboy", "country": "IE", "role": "trainee", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "His first kitchen, at 14, under head chef Ray Vaughan.", "source": "https://www.meathchronicle.ie/?p=21763" }, { "name": "The Oak Room", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": null, "source": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/richard-corrigan-chefowner-corrigan-restaurants" }, { "name": "Mulligan's", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "head chef", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "closed", "stars": null, "note": "His first London restaurant as head chef, in Mayfair.", "source": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/richard-corrigan-chefowner-corrigan-restaurants" }, { "name": "Fulham Road", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "head chef", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": 1, "note": "His first Michelin star, in 1994.", "source": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/richard-corrigan-chefowner-corrigan-restaurants" }, { "name": "Lindsay House", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "chef-owner", "from": null, "to": "2008", "status": "closed", "stars": 1, "note": "Michelin-starred in Soho from 1997; he closed it before opening Corrigan's Mayfair.", "source": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history" }, { "name": "Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "owner", "from": "2005", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "A seafood house off Piccadilly since 1916, bought and reopened by Corrigan in 2005.", "source": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history" }, { "name": "Bentley's Sea Grill", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "owner", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "closed", "stars": null, "note": "Ran for four years in the Harrods Food Hall.", "source": "https://thecaterer.com/indepth/richard-corrigan-and-family-how-the-business-is-evolving" }, { "name": "Corrigan's Mayfair", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "chef-owner", "from": "2008", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "Evening Standard Restaurant of the Year and AA London Restaurant of the Year; home of Dickie's Bar.", "source": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history" }, { "name": "Virginia Park Lodge", "city": "Virginia", "country": "IE", "role": "owner", "from": "2013", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "An 18th-century estate by Lough Ramor in Co Cavan, with its own farm and gardens.", "source": "https://thecaterer.com/indepth/richard-corrigan-and-family-how-the-business-is-evolving" }, { "name": "Deerpark Inn", "city": "Virginia", "country": "IE", "role": "chef patron", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "A gastropub with rooms next to the estate.", "source": "https://www.virginiaparklodge.com/" }, { "name": "Daffodil Mulligan", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "owner", "from": "2019", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "An Irish restaurant with a wood-fired grill in Shoreditch, with Gibney's bar below.", "source": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history" }, { "name": "The Portrait Restaurant", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "chef partner", "from": "2023", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "At the National Portrait Gallery, in partnership with Searcys.", "source": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/", "title": "Corrigan Collection | Restaurants & Venues By Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.meathchronicle.ie/?p=21763", "title": "Obituaries 19th April 2014", "publisher": "Meath Chronicle", "date": "2014-06-04", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/richard-corrigan-chefowner-corrigan-restaurants", "title": "CHEF PROFILE: Richard Corrigan, chef/owner, Corrigan Restaurants", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2015-12-17", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/all-content/cateys-2018-restaurateur-of-the-year-independent-richard-corrigan", "title": "Cateys 2018: Restaurateur of the Year – Independent – Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history", "title": "Our History - Find Out More | Corrigan Collection", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/indepth/richard-corrigan-and-family-how-the-business-is-evolving", "title": "Richard Corrigan and family: how the business is evolving", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.virginiaparklodge.com/", "title": "Country House Hotel & Wedding Venue, Cavan | Virginia Park Lodge", "publisher": "Virginia Park Lodge", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://hardens.com/uk-london/14-06-2019/richard-corrigan-to-open-farm-inspired-restaurant-at-former-nuala-site", "title": "Richard Corrigan to open farm-inspired restaurant at former Nuala site", "publisher": "Harden's", "date": "2019-06-14", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "first-michelin-star-fulham-road", "date": "1994", "type": "star", "title": "From A Meath Hotel Kitchen To A Michelin Star", "summary": "A boy from Ballivor learns to cook at 14, works his way through Dutch hotels and London kitchens, and wins his first Michelin star at Fulham Road in 1994.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/richard-corrigan/first-michelin-star-fulham-road.html", "facts": [ "Corrigan is a native of Ballivor, Co Meath.", "At 14 he started at the Kirwan Arms Hotel in Athboy under head chef Ray Vaughan.", "He worked in hotels in the Netherlands from the age of 17.", "He won his first Michelin star as head chef at Fulham Road in 1994." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.meathchronicle.ie/?p=21763", "title": "Obituaries 19th April 2014", "publisher": "Meath Chronicle", "date": "2014-06-04", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/richard-corrigan-chefowner-corrigan-restaurants", "title": "CHEF PROFILE: Richard Corrigan, chef/owner, Corrigan Restaurants", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2015-12-17", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/all-content/cateys-2018-restaurateur-of-the-year-independent-richard-corrigan", "title": "Cateys 2018: Restaurateur of the Year – Independent – Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "lindsay-house-soho", "date": "1997", "type": "star", "title": "A Second Starred Kitchen At Lindsay House", "summary": "In a Soho townhouse called Lindsay House, Corrigan wins another Michelin star in 1997 and keeps it for over a decade.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/richard-corrigan/lindsay-house-soho.html", "facts": [ "Corrigan won a Michelin star at Lindsay House in Soho in 1997.", "The Caterer says he held that star for more than ten years.", "Lindsay House was his own first restaurant; he closed it before opening Corrigan's Mayfair in 2008.", "His stake in Lindsay House later helped him to start his own business." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/richard-corrigan-chefowner-corrigan-restaurants", "title": "CHEF PROFILE: Richard Corrigan, chef/owner, Corrigan Restaurants", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2015-12-17", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/indepth/richard-corrigan-and-family-how-the-business-is-evolving", "title": "Richard Corrigan and family: how the business is evolving", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/all-content/cateys-2018-restaurateur-of-the-year-independent-richard-corrigan", "title": "Cateys 2018: Restaurateur of the Year – Independent – Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history", "title": "Our History - Find Out More | Corrigan Collection", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "bentleys-oyster-bar", "date": "2005", "type": "business", "title": "Taking The Keys To Bentley's", "summary": "In 2005 Corrigan buys and reopens Bentley's Oyster Bar & Grill, the London seafood house where he first cooked in 1992. Television follows the same year.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/richard-corrigan/bentleys-oyster-bar.html", "facts": [ "Bentley's has served seafood and oysters off Piccadilly since 1916.", "Corrigan first cooked at Bentley's in 1992.", "He bought and reopened it in 2005, the founding of the Corrigan Collection.", "He did his first television work at 40 and became a regular on BBC's Great British Menu." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/", "title": "Corrigan Collection | Restaurants & Venues By Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/indepth/richard-corrigan-and-family-how-the-business-is-evolving", "title": "Richard Corrigan and family: how the business is evolving", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history", "title": "Our History - Find Out More | Corrigan Collection", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/richard-corrigan-chefowner-corrigan-restaurants", "title": "CHEF PROFILE: Richard Corrigan, chef/owner, Corrigan Restaurants", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2015-12-17", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/all-content/cateys-2018-restaurateur-of-the-year-independent-richard-corrigan", "title": "Cateys 2018: Restaurateur of the Year – Independent – Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "corrigans-mayfair", "date": "2008", "type": "opening", "title": "Corrigan's Mayfair Wins London Over", "summary": "In 2008 Corrigan opens Corrigan's Mayfair. It is named the Evening Standard's Restaurant of the Year and wins three AA rosettes within three months.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/richard-corrigan/corrigans-mayfair.html", "facts": [ "Corrigan's Mayfair opened in 2008, after he closed Lindsay House.", "It was named the Evening Standard's London Restaurant of the Year.", "It won three AA rosettes within three months and was named AA Restaurant of the Year in 2009.", "His book The Clatter of Forks and Spoons came out in 2008." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history", "title": "Our History - Find Out More | Corrigan Collection", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/all-content/cateys-2018-restaurateur-of-the-year-independent-richard-corrigan", "title": "Cateys 2018: Restaurateur of the Year – Independent – Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/indepth/richard-corrigan-and-family-how-the-business-is-evolving", "title": "Richard Corrigan and family: how the business is evolving", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "virginia-park-lodge", "date": "2013", "type": "business", "title": "Coming Home To Virginia Park Lodge", "summary": "In 2013 Corrigan buys Virginia Park Lodge, an 18th-century estate by Lough Ramor in Co Cavan, and turns it into a farm-to-table country house.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/richard-corrigan/virginia-park-lodge.html", "facts": [ "Corrigan bought Virginia Park Lodge in 2013.", "The house dates from 1750 and sits by Lough Ramor in Virginia, Co Cavan.", "It is where he married his wife, Maria.", "The estate recycles 90% of its waste on site." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/indepth/richard-corrigan-and-family-how-the-business-is-evolving", "title": "Richard Corrigan and family: how the business is evolving", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/all-content/cateys-2018-restaurateur-of-the-year-independent-richard-corrigan", "title": "Cateys 2018: Restaurateur of the Year – Independent – Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.virginiaparklodge.com/", "title": "Country House Hotel & Wedding Venue, Cavan | Virginia Park Lodge", "publisher": "Virginia Park Lodge", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history", "title": "Our History - Find Out More | Corrigan Collection", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "restaurateur-of-the-year", "date": "2018", "type": "award", "title": "Restaurateur Of The Year At The Cateys", "summary": "In 2018 The Caterer names Corrigan its independent Restaurateur of the Year, honouring decades of cooking and a group built one restaurant at a time.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/richard-corrigan/restaurateur-of-the-year.html", "facts": [ "Corrigan won Restaurateur of the Year – Independent at the 2018 Cateys.", "He has cooked for the Queen and at the White House.", "He says he opens a new restaurant about every five years and pays off debt before moving on.", "He is an ambassador for the Slow Food movement." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/all-content/cateys-2018-restaurateur-of-the-year-independent-richard-corrigan", "title": "Cateys 2018: Restaurateur of the Year – Independent – Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/indepth/richard-corrigan-and-family-how-the-business-is-evolving", "title": "Richard Corrigan and family: how the business is evolving", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/richard-corrigan-chefowner-corrigan-restaurants", "title": "CHEF PROFILE: Richard Corrigan, chef/owner, Corrigan Restaurants", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2015-12-17", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "daffodil-mulligan", "date": "2019", "type": "opening", "title": "Daffodil Mulligan Brings Ireland To Shoreditch", "summary": "In 2019 Corrigan opens Daffodil Mulligan near Old Street, an Irish restaurant with a wood-fired grill that revives the name of his first London kitchen.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/richard-corrigan/daffodil-mulligan.html", "facts": [ "Daffodil Mulligan opened in Shoreditch in 2019.", "The name revives Mulligan's, his first London restaurant.", "Partners included John Nugent and Tony Gibney of Gibney's in Malahide.", "In 2020 the basement bar Gibney's London opened below it." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/about-us/our-history", "title": "Our History - Find Out More | Corrigan Collection", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://hardens.com/uk-london/14-06-2019/richard-corrigan-to-open-farm-inspired-restaurant-at-former-nuala-site", "title": "Richard Corrigan to open farm-inspired restaurant at former Nuala site", "publisher": "Harden's", "date": "2019-06-14", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.corrigancollection.com/", "title": "Corrigan Collection | Restaurants & Venues By Richard Corrigan", "publisher": "Corrigan Collection", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" } ], "updated": "2026-10-14" }, { "rank": 4, "movement": null, "id": "rachel-allen", "name": "Rachel Allen", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/rachel-allen.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 65, "recognition": 12, "media": 37, "press": 16, "sixMonthAverage": 65 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 4, "score": 65, "smoothed": 65 } ], "tagline": "The Ballymaloe teacher whose warm, easy TV cooking and bestselling books reached more than 30 countries.", "rankReason": "Fourteen TV series for RTÉ and the BBC shown in some 30 countries, about two million BBC viewers, 14–15 bestselling cookbooks with over a million copies sold, Market Kitchen, Saturday Kitchen and Channel 4's My Kitchen Rules, and decades of teaching at Ballymaloe Cookery School.", "born": { "date": null, "place": null, "country": "IE" }, "website": "https://rachelallen.com/", "knownFor": [ "Rachel's Favourite Food on RTÉ and the BBC", "Teaching at Ballymaloe Cookery School", "Bestselling cookbooks such as Bake and Home Cooking", "Co-hosting Channel 4's My Kitchen Rules" ], "bio": [ "Rachel Allen grew up in Dublin and left home at 18 to study at Ballymaloe Cookery School in east Cork, arriving in 1990. After graduating she cooked at Ballymaloe House, spent a spell in Canada and came back to teach at the school, where she still teaches today.", "A producer who attended one of her classes asked her to make a pilot, and in 2004 Rachel's Favourite Food became both her first TV series and her first book. Her series for RTÉ and the BBC have since been shown in around 30 countries.", "She has written 14 or more bestselling cookbooks, co-hosted Market Kitchen on the Good Food Channel and appeared often on BBC's Saturday Kitchen. In 2017 she opened her first restaurant, Rachel's, in Cork city, and became a co-presenter and judge on Channel 4's My Kitchen Rules." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "Ballymaloe House", "city": "Shanagarry", "country": "IE", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "She cooked here after graduating from the cookery school.", "source": "https://rachelallen.com/" }, { "name": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "city": "Shanagarry", "country": "IE", "role": "teacher", "from": "1990", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "She arrived as a student in 1990 and has taught here ever since she returned.", "source": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/rachel-allen" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://rachelallen.com/", "title": "Rachel Allen Chef", "publisher": "Rachel Allen", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/rachel-allen", "title": "Rachel Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/chef-interviews/celeb-chef-by-day-mum-by-night/", "title": "Celeb chef by day, mum by night!", "publisher": "BBC Good Food Middle East", "date": "2014-03-11", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://shropshirestar.com/entertainment/weekend/2017/11/04/rachel-allen-i-love-the-calm-of-cake-baking", "title": "Rachel Allen on working with Yummy Brummy Glynn Purnell and My Kitchen Rules UK", "publisher": "Shropshire Star", "date": "2017-11-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.kennedysummerschool.ie/speakers-2018/rachel-allen/", "title": "Rachel Allen | Kennedy Summer School Wexford Co Ireland", "publisher": "Kennedy Summer School", "date": "2018", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/opening-date-confirmed-for-rachel-allens-new-cork-restaurant", "title": "Opening Date Confirmed for Rachel Allen's New Cork Restaurant", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2017-03-07", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/rachel-allen-to-close-city-restaurant-for-1m-eight-week-revamp-472928.html", "title": "Rachel Allen to close city restaurant for €1m, eight-week revamp", "publisher": "Irish Examiner", "date": "2018-07-20", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "arriving-at-ballymaloe", "date": "1990", "type": "education", "title": "A Dublin Teenager Arrives At Ballymaloe", "summary": "At 18, Rachel Allen leaves Dublin for Ballymaloe Cookery School in east Cork. She stays to cook, travels to Canada, and comes back to teach.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/rachel-allen/arriving-at-ballymaloe.html", "facts": [ "She grew up in Dublin and left home at 18 for Ballymaloe Cookery School.", "She first came to the school in 1990.", "After graduating she cooked in the kitchens of Ballymaloe House.", "She worked in Canada for a while before returning to teach." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://rachelallen.com/", "title": "Rachel Allen Chef", "publisher": "Rachel Allen", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/rachel-allen", "title": "Rachel Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/chef-interviews/celeb-chef-by-day-mum-by-night/", "title": "Celeb chef by day, mum by night!", "publisher": "BBC Good Food Middle East", "date": "2014-03-11", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://shropshirestar.com/entertainment/weekend/2017/11/04/rachel-allen-i-love-the-calm-of-cake-baking", "title": "Rachel Allen on working with Yummy Brummy Glynn Purnell and My Kitchen Rules UK", "publisher": "Shropshire Star", "date": "2017-11-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "rachels-favourite-food", "date": "2004", "type": "media", "title": "Right Place, Right Time: Rachel's Favourite Food", "summary": "A TV producer in one of her classes asks her to make a pilot. In 2004 Rachel's Favourite Food launches as her first series and her first book.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/rachel-allen/rachels-favourite-food.html", "facts": [ "A producer who attended one of her classes asked her to make a pilot.", "Rachel's Favourite Food launched in 2004 as a TV series and a book.", "The RTÉ series was later sold to broadcasters in Australia, Canada, Europe and elsewhere." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/chef-interviews/celeb-chef-by-day-mum-by-night/", "title": "Celeb chef by day, mum by night!", "publisher": "BBC Good Food Middle East", "date": "2014-03-11", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://rachelallen.com/", "title": "Rachel Allen Chef", "publisher": "Rachel Allen", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/rachel-allen", "title": "Rachel Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://shropshirestar.com/entertainment/weekend/2017/11/04/rachel-allen-i-love-the-calm-of-cake-baking", "title": "Rachel Allen on working with Yummy Brummy Glynn Purnell and My Kitchen Rules UK", "publisher": "Shropshire Star", "date": "2017-11-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "market-kitchen-and-pbs", "date": "2010", "type": "media", "title": "From Cork Kitchens To Screens Around The World", "summary": "By 2010 Rachel Allen presents Market Kitchen on the Good Food Channel, and Rachel's Favourite Food for Friends becomes her first show on American television.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/rachel-allen/market-kitchen-and-pbs.html", "facts": [ "In 2010 she presented Market Kitchen on the Good Food Channel.", "In 2010 Rachel's Favourite Food for Friends aired on PBS in the US.", "Her BBC series drew about two million viewers.", "She is a regular guest on BBC's Saturday Kitchen." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.kennedysummerschool.ie/speakers-2018/rachel-allen/", "title": "Rachel Allen | Kennedy Summer School Wexford Co Ireland", "publisher": "Kennedy Summer School", "date": "2018", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/rachel-allen", "title": "Rachel Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://shropshirestar.com/entertainment/weekend/2017/11/04/rachel-allen-i-love-the-calm-of-cake-baking", "title": "Rachel Allen on working with Yummy Brummy Glynn Purnell and My Kitchen Rules UK", "publisher": "Shropshire Star", "date": "2017-11-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "coast-and-recipes-from-my-mother", "date": "2015", "type": "book", "title": "Cooking Along Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way", "summary": "In 2015 Rachel Allen publishes Coast: Recipes from Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way, followed by Recipes from My Mother in 2016. Her books pass a million copies sold.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/rachel-allen/coast-and-recipes-from-my-mother.html", "facts": [ "Coast: Recipes from Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way came out in 2015.", "Recipes from My Mother followed in 2016, and Home Baking in October 2017.", "Her books have sold over a million copies worldwide.", "She writes a cookbook most years, each taking about a year." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.kennedysummerschool.ie/speakers-2018/rachel-allen/", "title": "Rachel Allen | Kennedy Summer School Wexford Co Ireland", "publisher": "Kennedy Summer School", "date": "2018", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://rachelallen.com/", "title": "Rachel Allen Chef", "publisher": "Rachel Allen", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.ballymaloecookeryschool.ie/ballymaloe-cookery-school/rachel-allen", "title": "Rachel Allen", "publisher": "Ballymaloe Cookery School", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://shropshirestar.com/entertainment/weekend/2017/11/04/rachel-allen-i-love-the-calm-of-cake-baking", "title": "Rachel Allen on working with Yummy Brummy Glynn Purnell and My Kitchen Rules UK", "publisher": "Shropshire Star", "date": "2017-11-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "rachels-cork-city", "date": "2017-03-20", "type": "opening", "title": "Rachel's Opens On Washington Street", "summary": "On 20 March 2017 Rachel Allen opens her first restaurant, Rachel's, on Washington Street in Cork city, bringing Ballymaloe produce to the city centre.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/rachel-allen/rachels-cork-city.html", "facts": [ "Rachel's opened on Washington Street in Cork city on 20 March 2017.", "It was her first restaurant.", "Produce came from the Ballymaloe farm, fish from Ballycotton and meat from east Cork.", "In 2018 it closed for an eight-week, €1m revamp into a more casual venue." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/opening-date-confirmed-for-rachel-allens-new-cork-restaurant", "title": "Opening Date Confirmed for Rachel Allen's New Cork Restaurant", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2017-03-07", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/rachel-allen-to-close-city-restaurant-for-1m-eight-week-revamp-472928.html", "title": "Rachel Allen to close city restaurant for €1m, eight-week revamp", "publisher": "Irish Examiner", "date": "2018-07-20", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.kennedysummerschool.ie/speakers-2018/rachel-allen/", "title": "Rachel Allen | Kennedy Summer School Wexford Co Ireland", "publisher": "Kennedy Summer School", "date": "2018", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "my-kitchen-rules-uk", "date": "2017-09", "type": "media", "title": "A Judge On My Kitchen Rules", "summary": "In autumn 2017 Rachel Allen joins Glynn Purnell as co-presenter and judge of Channel 4's My Kitchen Rules, a 40-episode cooking competition.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/rachel-allen/my-kitchen-rules-uk.html", "facts": [ "In September 2017 she became co-presenter and judge on Channel 4's My Kitchen Rules.", "She co-hosted with Glynn Purnell over 40 episodes.", "She has hosted 14 television series shown in more than 30 countries." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.kennedysummerschool.ie/speakers-2018/rachel-allen/", "title": "Rachel Allen | Kennedy Summer School Wexford Co Ireland", "publisher": "Kennedy Summer School", "date": "2018", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://shropshirestar.com/entertainment/weekend/2017/11/04/rachel-allen-i-love-the-calm-of-cake-baking", "title": "Rachel Allen on working with Yummy Brummy Glynn Purnell and My Kitchen Rules UK", "publisher": "Shropshire Star", "date": "2017-11-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://rachelallen.com/", "title": "Rachel Allen Chef", "publisher": "Rachel Allen", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" } ], "updated": "2026-10-14" }, { "rank": 5, "movement": null, "id": "jp-mcmahon", "name": "JP McMahon", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/jp-mcmahon.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 64, "recognition": 26, "media": 22, "press": 16, "sixMonthAverage": 64 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 5, "score": 64, "smoothed": 64 } ], "tagline": "The self-taught Galway chef behind Michelin-starred Aniar, Food on the Edge and The Irish Cookbook.", "rankReason": "Aniar in Galway has held a Michelin star since 2013 and kept it in the 2026 guide; he founded the international Food on the Edge symposium in 2015 and wrote Phaidon's 500-recipe The Irish Cookbook, among four books, plus columns and lectures on Irish food.", "born": { "date": null, "place": "Dublin", "country": "IE" }, "website": "https://www.aniarrestaurant.ie/", "knownFor": [ "Aniar, the Michelin-starred restaurant in Galway", "The Food on the Edge symposium", "Phaidon's The Irish Cookbook", "Cooking only with Irish ingredients" ], "bio": [ "JP McMahon is a self-taught chef from Dublin who started cooking at 15 in an Italian restaurant and has lived in Galway since 1999. He studied English and art history, and later earned a PhD in drama and theatre.", "In 2008 he opened Cava, a Spanish tapas bar, and in 2011 Aniar, a restaurant that cooks only with Irish ingredients. Aniar won a Michelin star in 2013 and still held it in 2026.", "In 2015 he founded Food on the Edge, an international chef symposium in Galway. His Irish Cookbook for Phaidon gathers more than 500 recipes, and An Irish Food Story followed in 2024. At Aniar he also teaches cookery classes, reviving old methods such as curing, smoking and fermenting." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "Cava Bodega", "city": "Galway", "country": "IE", "role": "owner", "from": "2008", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "His first restaurant, serving Spanish tapas.", "source": "https://fcsi.org/?p=69969" }, { "name": "Aniar", "city": "Galway", "country": "IE", "role": "chef patron", "from": "2011", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": 1, "note": "Irish ingredients only, on Lower Dominick Street; a Michelin star since 2013.", "source": "https://www.aniarrestaurant.ie/" }, { "name": "Tartare Café and Wine Bar", "city": "Galway", "country": "IE", "role": "owner", "from": "2017", "to": "2022", "status": "closed", "stars": null, "note": "Closed in 2022 when costs made it unsustainable.", "source": "https://fcsi.org/?p=69969" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://fcsi.org/?p=69969", "title": "Local hero: Chef Jp McMahon in profile", "publisher": "Foodservice Consultant (FCSI)", "date": "2025-02-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/jp-mcmahon-chef-patron-aniar-galway", "title": "JP McMahon, chef patron, Aniar, Galway", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2016-04-28", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.aniarrestaurant.ie/", "title": "Aniar - Contemporary Irish Michelin-starred Restaurant in Galway city", "publisher": "Aniar", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/", "title": "48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)", "publisher": "Travel Extra", "date": "2023-11-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/michelin-guide-full-list-irelands-michelin-star-restaurants-2026", "title": "MICHELIN Guide: Full List of Ireland's Michelin Star Restaurants for 2026", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2026-02-09", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www2.publishersweekly.com/978-1-8386-60567", "title": "The Irish Cookbook", "publisher": "Publishers Weekly", "date": "2020-02-13", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "cava-opens-in-galway", "date": "2008", "type": "opening", "title": "A Self-Taught Cook Opens A Tapas Bar", "summary": "A Dublin teenager learns pizza, bread and pasta at 15, studies art history and settles in Galway. In 2008 he opens his first restaurant, the tapas bar Cava.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/jp-mcmahon/cava-opens-in-galway.html", "facts": [ "McMahon started cooking at 15 in an Italian restaurant outside Dublin.", "He studied English and art history at college.", "He has lived in Galway since 1999.", "He opened Cava, a Spanish tapas restaurant, in 2008." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://fcsi.org/?p=69969", "title": "Local hero: Chef Jp McMahon in profile", "publisher": "Foodservice Consultant (FCSI)", "date": "2025-02-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/jp-mcmahon-chef-patron-aniar-galway", "title": "JP McMahon, chef patron, Aniar, Galway", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2016-04-28", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "aniar-opens", "date": "2011", "type": "opening", "title": "Aniar: Cooking From The West", "summary": "In 2011 McMahon opens Aniar in Galway, a restaurant that uses only Irish ingredients. Its name means \"from the west\" in Irish.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/jp-mcmahon/aniar-opens.html", "facts": [ "Aniar opened in 2011.", "Its name means from the west in Irish.", "It limits itself to Irish ingredients.", "Its first head chef, Enda McEvoy, had worked at Noma." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://fcsi.org/?p=69969", "title": "Local hero: Chef Jp McMahon in profile", "publisher": "Foodservice Consultant (FCSI)", "date": "2025-02-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.aniarrestaurant.ie/", "title": "Aniar - Contemporary Irish Michelin-starred Restaurant in Galway city", "publisher": "Aniar", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/jp-mcmahon-chef-patron-aniar-galway", "title": "JP McMahon, chef patron, Aniar, Galway", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2016-04-28", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "aniar-michelin-star", "date": "2013", "type": "star", "title": "The First Star In The West In A Decade", "summary": "About 14 months after opening, Aniar wins a Michelin star, the first in the west of Ireland in ten years. It still holds it in the 2026 guide.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/jp-mcmahon/aniar-michelin-star.html", "facts": [ "Aniar has held a Michelin star since 2013.", "The star came about 14 months after opening.", "It was the first Michelin star in the west of Ireland in ten years.", "Aniar kept its star in the 2026 Michelin Guide." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/", "title": "48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)", "publisher": "Travel Extra", "date": "2023-11-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://fcsi.org/?p=69969", "title": "Local hero: Chef Jp McMahon in profile", "publisher": "Foodservice Consultant (FCSI)", "date": "2025-02-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/jp-mcmahon-chef-patron-aniar-galway", "title": "JP McMahon, chef patron, Aniar, Galway", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2016-04-28", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/michelin-guide-full-list-irelands-michelin-star-restaurants-2026", "title": "MICHELIN Guide: Full List of Ireland's Michelin Star Restaurants for 2026", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2026-02-09", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "food-on-the-edge", "date": "2015", "type": "business", "title": "Food On The Edge Brings The World To Galway", "summary": "In 2015 McMahon launches Food on the Edge, an international symposium that brings top chefs and food thinkers to Galway every year.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/jp-mcmahon/food-on-the-edge.html", "facts": [ "Food on the Edge was first held in Galway in 2015.", "The first edition featured more than 40 speakers.", "Each year it hosts about 400 chefs and food professionals and around 300 audience members.", "The ninth edition took place in 2024." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://fcsi.org/?p=69969", "title": "Local hero: Chef Jp McMahon in profile", "publisher": "Foodservice Consultant (FCSI)", "date": "2025-02-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/the-staff-canteen-meets/jp-mcmahon-chef-patron-aniar-galway", "title": "JP McMahon, chef patron, Aniar, Galway", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2016-04-28", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "the-irish-cookbook", "date": "2020-03", "type": "book", "title": "Five Hundred Recipes In The Irish Cookbook", "summary": "In 2020 Phaidon publishes McMahon's The Irish Cookbook, more than 500 recipes covering the past, present and future of Irish cooking.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/jp-mcmahon/the-irish-cookbook.html", "facts": [ "The Irish Cookbook was published by Phaidon in March 2020.", "It has 432 pages and more than 500 recipes.", "It includes a foraging guide and a short history of Irish food.", "He has published four books, most recently An Irish Food Story in 2024." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www2.publishersweekly.com/978-1-8386-60567", "title": "The Irish Cookbook", "publisher": "Publishers Weekly", "date": "2020-02-13", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://fcsi.org/?p=69969", "title": "Local hero: Chef Jp McMahon in profile", "publisher": "Foodservice Consultant (FCSI)", "date": "2025-02-05", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.aniarrestaurant.ie/", "title": "Aniar - Contemporary Irish Michelin-starred Restaurant in Galway city", "publisher": "Aniar", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" } ], "updated": "2026-10-14" }, { "rank": 6, "movement": null, "id": "mickael-viljanen", "name": "Mickael Viljanen", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/mickael-viljanen.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 63, "recognition": 36, "media": 10, "press": 17, "sixMonthAverage": 63 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 6, "score": 63, "smoothed": 63 } ], "tagline": "The Finnish-raised chef who won two Michelin stars twice in Dublin, at The Greenhouse and Chapter One.", "rankReason": "Two Michelin stars at The Greenhouse in 2019, the first second star in the capital since 2000, then two stars again at Chapter One within seven months of reopening in 2022, held in the 2026 guide; a 10/10 Irish Times review and Food & Wine Chef of the Year twice.", "born": { "date": null, "place": "Stockholm", "country": "SE" }, "website": "https://www.chapteronerestaurant.com/", "knownFor": [ "Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen in Dublin", "Two Michelin stars at The Greenhouse", "Cooking that blends Finnish, French and Irish technique", "Surprise tasting menus" ], "bio": [ "Mickael Viljanen was born in Stockholm and grew up in Finland, in the city of Pori. He chose catering college over university, cooked on a cruise ship and became head chef of PK's in Pori at 23.", "He moved to Ireland in 2000 to work with Paul Flynn at The Tannery in Waterford, then spent five years at Gregans Castle in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare. In 2012 he joined the founding team of The Greenhouse in Dublin, which won one Michelin star and then a second.", "In May 2021 he became chef patron and co-owner of Chapter One on Parnell Square, alongside Ross Lewis, and the restaurant was renamed Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen. It won two Michelin stars in February 2022 and kept them in the 2026 guide.", "He calls his cooking neither Finnish, French nor Irish but a blend of all three, and often creates dishes on the spot from the produce of the day." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "PK's", "city": "Pori", "country": "FI", "role": "head chef", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "He became head chef here at 23.", "source": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/2-Michelin-Star-Chefs/2-michelin-star-chefs-mickeal-viljanen-chef-patron-chapter-one" }, { "name": "The Tannery", "city": "Co Waterford", "country": "IE", "role": "cook", "from": "2000", "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "With Paul Flynn, his first kitchen in Ireland.", "source": "https://thestaffcanteen.com/News/chef-mickael-viljanen-has-left-the-greenhouse" }, { "name": "Gregans Castle", "city": "Ballyvaughan", "country": "IE", "role": "chef", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "Five years at this country house hotel in Co Clare.", "source": "https://www.gregans.ie/" }, { "name": "The Greenhouse", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "head chef and partner", "from": "2012", "to": "2021", "status": "closed", "stars": 2, "note": "Two Michelin stars under Viljanen; it was not open when the 2022 guide came out.", "source": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/michelin-awards-2022-chapter-one-and-liath-win-two-stars-1.4803911" }, { "name": "Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "chef patron and co-owner", "from": "2021", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": 2, "note": "On Parnell Square, with Ross Lewis as patron; two stars since 2022.", "source": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/michelin-awards-2022-chapter-one-and-liath-win-two-stars-1.4803911" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/2-Michelin-Star-Chefs/2-michelin-star-chefs-mickeal-viljanen-chef-patron-chapter-one", "title": "2 Michelin Star Chefs: Mickael Viljanen, chef patron, Chapter One", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2022-02-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thestaffcanteen.com/News/chef-mickael-viljanen-has-left-the-greenhouse", "title": "Mickael Viljanen becomes chef patron of Chapter One as Ross Lewis steps out of the kitchen", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2021-05-21", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/michelin-awards-2022-chapter-one-and-liath-win-two-stars-1.4803911", "title": "Michelin awards 2022: Chapter One and Liath win two stars", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2022-02-16", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.hospitalityireland.com/index.php/restaurant/dublins-chapter-one-by-mickael-viljanen-restaurant-gains-two-michelin-stars-164058", "title": "Dublin's Chapter One By Mickael Viljanen Restaurant Gains Two Michelin Stars", "publisher": "Hospitality Ireland", "date": "2022-02-16", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://chapteronerestaurant.com/?p=13", "title": "THE RESTAURANT | Chapter One Restaurant", "publisher": "Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/michelin-guide-full-list-irelands-michelin-star-restaurants-2026", "title": "MICHELIN Guide: Full List of Ireland's Michelin Star Restaurants for 2026", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2026-02-09", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.gregans.ie/", "title": "Gregans Castle Hotel, Ballyvaughan", "publisher": "Gregans Castle Hotel", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "from-pori-to-ireland", "date": "2000", "type": "career", "title": "A Cook From Pori Lands In Ireland", "summary": "Born in Stockholm and raised in Finland, Viljanen is a head chef at 23. In 2000 he moves to Ireland and joins Paul Flynn at The Tannery in Waterford.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/mickael-viljanen/from-pori-to-ireland.html", "facts": [ "Viljanen was born in Stockholm and raised in Pori, Finland.", "He chose catering college over university.", "He was head chef of PK's in Pori at 23.", "He moved to Ireland in 2000 to work with Paul Flynn at The Tannery." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/2-Michelin-Star-Chefs/2-michelin-star-chefs-mickeal-viljanen-chef-patron-chapter-one", "title": "2 Michelin Star Chefs: Mickael Viljanen, chef patron, Chapter One", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2022-02-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thestaffcanteen.com/News/chef-mickael-viljanen-has-left-the-greenhouse", "title": "Mickael Viljanen becomes chef patron of Chapter One as Ross Lewis steps out of the kitchen", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2021-05-21", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "the-greenhouse-opens", "date": "2012", "type": "opening", "title": "A New Greenhouse Grows In Dublin", "summary": "In 2012 Viljanen joins the founding team of The Greenhouse in Dublin, in a joint venture with Eamonn O'Reilly, and it is named Restaurant of the Year in its first year.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/mickael-viljanen/the-greenhouse-opens.html", "facts": [ "Viljanen joined The Greenhouse at its founding in 2012.", "It was a joint venture with Eamonn O'Reilly.", "Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide named it Restaurant of the Year in 2012.", "The same year he was a guest judge on MasterChef Ireland." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/2-Michelin-Star-Chefs/2-michelin-star-chefs-mickeal-viljanen-chef-patron-chapter-one", "title": "2 Michelin Star Chefs: Mickael Viljanen, chef patron, Chapter One", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2022-02-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thestaffcanteen.com/News/chef-mickael-viljanen-has-left-the-greenhouse", "title": "Mickael Viljanen becomes chef patron of Chapter One as Ross Lewis steps out of the kitchen", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2021-05-21", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "first-star-at-the-greenhouse", "date": "2015", "type": "star", "title": "The Greenhouse Earns Its First Star", "summary": "The Greenhouse wins its first Michelin star, in the 2016 edition of the guide. Viljanen is now one of the leading chefs in Dublin.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/mickael-viljanen/first-star-at-the-greenhouse.html", "facts": [ "The Greenhouse won a Michelin star in 2015, according to The Staff Canteen.", "The Staff Canteen also dates the star to the 2016 Michelin Guide.", "Viljanen twice won Chef of the Year from Food & Wine Magazine at The Greenhouse." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/2-Michelin-Star-Chefs/2-michelin-star-chefs-mickeal-viljanen-chef-patron-chapter-one", "title": "2 Michelin Star Chefs: Mickael Viljanen, chef patron, Chapter One", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2022-02-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thestaffcanteen.com/News/chef-mickael-viljanen-has-left-the-greenhouse", "title": "Mickael Viljanen becomes chef patron of Chapter One as Ross Lewis steps out of the kitchen", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2021-05-21", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "second-star-at-the-greenhouse", "date": "2019", "type": "star", "title": "Two Stars For The Greenhouse", "summary": "The Greenhouse wins a second Michelin star, the first restaurant in the capital to do so since 2000. Viljanen joins the very top tier of Irish chefs.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/mickael-viljanen/second-star-at-the-greenhouse.html", "facts": [ "The Greenhouse won its second Michelin star in 2019, in the guide for 2020.", "It was the first restaurant in Dublin to gain a second star since 2000.", "Viljanen had held two stars since 2019 when he moved to Chapter One.", "The Greenhouse did not reopen after the pandemic closures, and left the guide in 2022." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/2-Michelin-Star-Chefs/2-michelin-star-chefs-mickeal-viljanen-chef-patron-chapter-one", "title": "2 Michelin Star Chefs: Mickael Viljanen, chef patron, Chapter One", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2022-02-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thestaffcanteen.com/News/chef-mickael-viljanen-has-left-the-greenhouse", "title": "Mickael Viljanen becomes chef patron of Chapter One as Ross Lewis steps out of the kitchen", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2021-05-21", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.hospitalityireland.com/index.php/restaurant/dublins-chapter-one-by-mickael-viljanen-restaurant-gains-two-michelin-stars-164058", "title": "Dublin's Chapter One By Mickael Viljanen Restaurant Gains Two Michelin Stars", "publisher": "Hospitality Ireland", "date": "2022-02-16", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/michelin-awards-2022-chapter-one-and-liath-win-two-stars-1.4803911", "title": "Michelin awards 2022: Chapter One and Liath win two stars", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2022-02-16", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "chapter-one-partnership", "date": "2021-05", "type": "business", "title": "A New Chapter On Parnell Square", "summary": "In May 2021 Viljanen becomes chef patron and co-owner of Chapter One, the Dublin institution run for almost three decades by Ross Lewis.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/mickael-viljanen/chapter-one-partnership.html", "facts": [ "The partnership was announced on 21 May 2021.", "Ross Lewis had run Chapter One for almost three decades and held a star there for 15 years.", "The restaurant was renamed Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen.", "It reopened, redesigned, on 27 July 2021." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://thestaffcanteen.com/News/chef-mickael-viljanen-has-left-the-greenhouse", "title": "Mickael Viljanen becomes chef patron of Chapter One as Ross Lewis steps out of the kitchen", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2021-05-21", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/michelin-awards-2022-chapter-one-and-liath-win-two-stars-1.4803911", "title": "Michelin awards 2022: Chapter One and Liath win two stars", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2022-02-16", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://chapteronerestaurant.com/?p=13", "title": "THE RESTAURANT | Chapter One Restaurant", "publisher": "Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.hospitalityireland.com/index.php/restaurant/dublins-chapter-one-by-mickael-viljanen-restaurant-gains-two-michelin-stars-164058", "title": "Dublin's Chapter One By Mickael Viljanen Restaurant Gains Two Michelin Stars", "publisher": "Hospitality Ireland", "date": "2022-02-16", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "chapter-one-two-stars", "date": "2022-02", "type": "star", "title": "Two Stars Again, Less Than Seven Months In", "summary": "In February 2022 Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen wins two Michelin stars, less than seven months after reopening. It still holds them in the 2026 guide.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/mickael-viljanen/chapter-one-two-stars.html", "facts": [ "Chapter One won two stars in the Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland 2022.", "Chapter One had held one star since 2007.", "Viljanen said the stars came less than seven months after reopening.", "The restaurant kept its two stars in the 2026 guide." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/michelin-awards-2022-chapter-one-and-liath-win-two-stars-1.4803911", "title": "Michelin awards 2022: Chapter One and Liath win two stars", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2022-02-16", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.hospitalityireland.com/index.php/restaurant/dublins-chapter-one-by-mickael-viljanen-restaurant-gains-two-michelin-stars-164058", "title": "Dublin's Chapter One By Mickael Viljanen Restaurant Gains Two Michelin Stars", "publisher": "Hospitality Ireland", "date": "2022-02-16", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/michelin-guide-full-list-irelands-michelin-star-restaurants-2026", "title": "MICHELIN Guide: Full List of Ireland's Michelin Star Restaurants for 2026", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2026-02-09", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/2-Michelin-Star-Chefs/2-michelin-star-chefs-mickeal-viljanen-chef-patron-chapter-one", "title": "2 Michelin Star Chefs: Mickael Viljanen, chef patron, Chapter One", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2022-02-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" } ], "updated": "2026-10-14" }, { "rank": 7, "movement": null, "id": "patrick-guilbaud", "name": "Patrick Guilbaud", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/patrick-guilbaud.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 62, "recognition": 36, "media": 10, "press": 16, "sixMonthAverage": 62 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 7, "score": 62, "smoothed": 62 } ], "tagline": "The Frenchman who brought fine dining to Dublin in 1981 and has held two Michelin stars since 1996.", "rankReason": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud has held two Michelin stars every year since 1996, including in the 2026 guide; a first star in 1988, the Légion d'honneur in 2015 and a 40th anniversary in 2021 make him the grand old name of Irish fine dining.", "born": { "date": null, "place": "Cognac", "country": "FR" }, "website": null, "knownFor": [ "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin", "Two Michelin stars since 1996", "Bringing French haute cuisine to Ireland", "The Légion d'honneur in 2015" ], "bio": [ "Patrick Guilbaud was born in Cognac and grew up in Paris and Caen. He began cooking at the Hotel Moderne in Caen in 1969, then worked in Munich and at Ledoyen in Paris before moving to Manchester in 1972 and opening Le Rabelais in Alderley Edge.", "In December 1981, in the middle of a recession, he opened his restaurant in Dublin. It won a Michelin star in 1988 and a second in 1996, and it moved into the Merrion Hotel in 1997.", "Guilbaud stopped cooking himself in the mid-1990s and leads the house as restaurateur, with executive chef Guillaume Lebrun in the kitchen and Stéphane Robin running the dining room. He received the Légion d'honneur in 2015.", "The restaurant celebrated 40 years in 2021 and kept its two stars in the 2026 Michelin Guide." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "Hotel Moderne", "city": "Caen", "country": "FR", "role": "cook", "from": "1969", "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "Where his professional career began.", "source": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/featured-chef/patrick-guilbaud-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud" }, { "name": "Ledoyen", "city": "Paris", "country": "FR", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": null, "source": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary" }, { "name": "Le Rabelais", "city": "Alderley Edge", "country": "GB", "role": "chef-owner", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "closed", "stars": null, "note": "His first restaurant, opened after he moved to Manchester in 1972.", "source": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary" }, { "name": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "chef-owner", "from": "1981", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": 2, "note": "Opened in December 1981; in the Merrion Hotel since 1997; two stars since 1996.", "source": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary" }, { "name": "Venue", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "owner", "from": "2002", "to": null, "status": "closed", "stars": null, "note": "A second restaurant he ran for five years and closed in the recession.", "source": "https://thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/chef-profile-patrick-guilbaud" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary", "title": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin marks its 40th Anniversary", "publisher": "MICHELIN Guide", "date": "2021-12-08", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/featured-chef/patrick-guilbaud-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Patrick Guilbaud, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2013-02-01", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.limerickpost.ie/2011/10/18/30-years-by-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud/", "title": "30 years – by Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "Limerick Post", "date": "2011-10-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/chef-profile-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Chef Profile: Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": "2014-01-24", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/michelin-guide-full-list-irelands-michelin-star-restaurants-2026", "title": "MICHELIN Guide: Full List of Ireland's Michelin Star Restaurants for 2026", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2026-02-09", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "first-job-in-caen", "date": "1969", "type": "education", "title": "A Useless Engineer Finds His Kitchen", "summary": "Born in Cognac and sent to aviation school by his father, the young Patrick Guilbaud quits and starts cooking at the Hotel Moderne in Caen in 1969.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/patrick-guilbaud/first-job-in-caen.html", "facts": [ "Guilbaud was born in Cognac and grew up in Paris.", "His grandmother ran a café in Brest, and his mother taught him to cook.", "His father wanted him to be an engineer and sent him to aviation school.", "He began his career at the Hotel Moderne in Caen in 1969." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/featured-chef/patrick-guilbaud-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Patrick Guilbaud, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2013-02-01", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary", "title": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin marks its 40th Anniversary", "publisher": "MICHELIN Guide", "date": "2021-12-08", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "manchester-and-le-rabelais", "date": "1972", "type": "opening", "title": "A French Cook In The North Of England", "summary": "In 1972 Guilbaud moves to Manchester. There he meets his wife Sally and opens his first restaurant, Le Rabelais, in Alderley Edge, Cheshire.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/patrick-guilbaud/manchester-and-le-rabelais.html", "facts": [ "Guilbaud moved to Manchester in 1972.", "He met his wife, Sally, and opened Le Rabelais in Alderley Edge, Cheshire.", "Le Rabelais was his first restaurant.", "In 1981 he chose Dublin to show his cooking in a capital city." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary", "title": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin marks its 40th Anniversary", "publisher": "MICHELIN Guide", "date": "2021-12-08", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/featured-chef/patrick-guilbaud-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Patrick Guilbaud, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2013-02-01", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "dublin-opening", "date": "1981-12", "type": "opening", "title": "French Fine Dining Arrives In Dublin", "summary": "In December 1981, in the depths of a recession, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud opens its doors in Dublin and starts teaching the city a new way to eat.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/patrick-guilbaud/dublin-opening.html", "facts": [ "The restaurant opened in December 1981, during a recession.", "Its first home was at St James's Place, off Baggot Street.", "Guilbaud came to Dublin to bring top-class French cooking to Irish diners.", "Early debates included portion sizes, no salt and pepper on the tables and not serving potatoes with every dish." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary", "title": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin marks its 40th Anniversary", "publisher": "MICHELIN Guide", "date": "2021-12-08", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.limerickpost.ie/2011/10/18/30-years-by-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud/", "title": "30 years – by Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "Limerick Post", "date": "2011-10-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/chef-profile-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Chef Profile: Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": "2014-01-24", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/featured-chef/patrick-guilbaud-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Patrick Guilbaud, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2013-02-01", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "first-michelin-star", "date": "1988", "type": "star", "title": "Michelin Notices Dublin's French Kitchen", "summary": "Seven years after opening, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud wins its first Michelin star in 1988, a sign that French fine dining had taken root in Dublin.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/patrick-guilbaud/first-michelin-star.html", "facts": [ "The restaurant won its first Michelin star in 1988.", "Guillaume Lebrun has led the kitchen since 1987, according to the Michelin Guide.", "Guilbaud stopped cooking himself around the mid-1990s." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary", "title": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin marks its 40th Anniversary", "publisher": "MICHELIN Guide", "date": "2021-12-08", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.limerickpost.ie/2011/10/18/30-years-by-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud/", "title": "30 years – by Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "Limerick Post", "date": "2011-10-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/chef-profile-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Chef Profile: Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": "2014-01-24", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "second-michelin-star", "date": "1996", "type": "star", "title": "Two Stars And A New Home At The Merrion", "summary": "In 1996 the restaurant wins a second Michelin star. A year later it moves into the Merrion Hotel, where it has held both stars ever since.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/patrick-guilbaud/second-michelin-star.html", "facts": [ "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud won its second Michelin star in 1996 and has kept it since.", "In 1997 it moved into the Merrion Hotel.", "In 2011 the Limerick Post called it Ireland's only two-star restaurant.", "It kept both stars in the 2026 Michelin Guide." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary", "title": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin marks its 40th Anniversary", "publisher": "MICHELIN Guide", "date": "2021-12-08", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.limerickpost.ie/2011/10/18/30-years-by-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud/", "title": "30 years – by Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "Limerick Post", "date": "2011-10-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/michelin-guide-full-list-irelands-michelin-star-restaurants-2026", "title": "MICHELIN Guide: Full List of Ireland's Michelin Star Restaurants for 2026", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2026-02-09", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/chef-profile-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Chef Profile: Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": "2014-01-24", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "thirty-years-book", "date": "2011-10", "type": "book", "title": "Thirty Years Told In A Book", "summary": "For its 30th birthday in 2011 the restaurant publishes The First Thirty Years, a book of history, stories and more than 40 recipes, with a foreword by Bono.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/patrick-guilbaud/thirty-years-book.html", "facts": [ "The First Thirty Years was written by Susan Ryan and launched in October 2011.", "It has more than 40 recipes and a foreword by Bono.", "Proceeds went to the Irish Hospice Foundation.", "In 2002 Guilbaud had opened a second restaurant, Venue, which closed in the recession." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.limerickpost.ie/2011/10/18/30-years-by-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud/", "title": "30 years – by Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "Limerick Post", "date": "2011-10-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://thecaterer.com/news/restaurant/chef-profile-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Chef Profile: Patrick Guilbaud", "publisher": "The Caterer", "date": "2014-01-24", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary", "title": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin marks its 40th Anniversary", "publisher": "MICHELIN Guide", "date": "2021-12-08", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "forty-years-and-legion-dhonneur", "date": "2021-12", "type": "honour", "title": "Forty Years, A Légion D'honneur And Two Stars Still Shining", "summary": "After receiving the Légion d'honneur in 2015, Guilbaud marks 40 years in Dublin in 2021 with a special menu and a Champagne cuvée. The two stars hold into 2026.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/patrick-guilbaud/forty-years-and-legion-dhonneur.html", "facts": [ "Guilbaud received the Légion d'honneur in 2015 for his work as a chef and restaurateur.", "The restaurant marked 40 years in 2021 with a Taste of Forty menu and a Champagne Deutz cuvée.", "His son Charles works in the dining room as assistant manager.", "The restaurant held two stars in the 2026 Michelin Guide." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://guide.michelin.com/ie/en/article/features/restaurant-patrick-guilbaud-in-dublin-marks-its-40th-anniversary", "title": "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin marks its 40th Anniversary", "publisher": "MICHELIN Guide", "date": "2021-12-08", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/michelin-guide-full-list-irelands-michelin-star-restaurants-2026", "title": "MICHELIN Guide: Full List of Ireland's Michelin Star Restaurants for 2026", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2026-02-09", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thestaffcanteen.com/featured-chef/patrick-guilbaud-restaurant-patrick-guilbaud", "title": "Patrick Guilbaud, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, Dublin", "publisher": "The Staff Canteen", "date": "2013-02-01", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" } ], "updated": "2026-10-14" }, { "rank": 8, "movement": null, "id": "dylan-mcgrath", "name": "Dylan McGrath", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/dylan-mcgrath.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 61, "recognition": 22, "media": 30, "press": 9, "sixMonthAverage": 61 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 8, "score": 61, "smoothed": 61 } ], "tagline": "The fiery young Michelin chef of Mint who rebuilt himself as a Dublin restaurateur and MasterChef judge.", "rankReason": "A Michelin star at Mint in Ranelagh in 2008–09, among the youngest Irish chefs to win one; the RTÉ documentary The Pressure Cooker, years as a MasterChef Ireland judge, Dylan McGrath's Secret Service and Dad Food; Georgina Campbell's Chef of the Year 2016. Recent press is mixed after two closures in 2024.", "born": { "date": "1977-08-04", "place": "Dublin", "country": "IE" }, "website": null, "knownFor": [ "Mint in Ranelagh and its Michelin star", "Rustic Stone and Fade Street Social", "Judging MasterChef Ireland", "Dylan McGrath's Secret Service", "The cookbook Dad Food" ], "bio": [ "Dylan McGrath was born in Dublin on 4 August 1977, spent his first years in Carlow and grew up in Belfast. He trained at Portrush Catering College, learned his craft at Roscoff in Belfast and then cooked in London with Tom Aikens.", "Back in Dublin he ran the kitchen at Mint in Ranelagh, which held a Michelin star in 2008–09. After Mint closed in the recession, he opened Rustic Stone in August 2010, then Fade Street Social, Taste at Rustic and Shelbourne Social. With partner Vincent Melinn he built a group of more than 300 staff.", "Georgina Campbell's guide named him Chef of the Year in 2016. Television made him a household name, from the documentary The Pressure Cooker to MasterChef Ireland and Dylan McGrath's Secret Service.", "In August 2024 he closed Rustic Stone and Brasserie Sixty6, and Fade Street Social became his main restaurant. His cookbook Dad Food was shortlisted at the Irish Book Awards in 2024." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "Roscoff", "city": "Belfast", "country": "GB", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": 1, "note": "Where he learned his craft properly.", "source": "https://www.hotpress.com/culture/bon-appetit-for-destruction-5202891" }, { "name": "Tom Aikens", "city": "London", "country": "GB", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": null, "source": "https://www.hotpress.com/lifestyle-sports/hot-press-interview-dylan-mcgrath-22768337" }, { "name": "Mint", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "head chef", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "closed", "stars": 1, "note": "In Ranelagh village; a Michelin star in 2008–09, closed in the recession.", "source": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/" }, { "name": "Rustic Stone", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "chef-owner", "from": "2010", "to": "2024", "status": "closed", "stars": null, "note": "Opened in August 2010 on South Great George's Street; closed in August 2024.", "source": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/business/2024/08/15/chef-dylan-mcgrath-shuts-two-dublin-restaurants" }, { "name": "Fade Street Social", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "chef-owner", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "A 340-seat restaurant and gastro-bar on Fade Street.", "source": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/business/2024/08/15/chef-dylan-mcgrath-shuts-two-dublin-restaurants" }, { "name": "Brasserie Sixty6", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "co-owner", "from": null, "to": "2024", "status": "closed", "stars": null, "note": "Owned 50/50 with Vincent Melinn; closed in August 2024.", "source": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/business/2024/08/15/chef-dylan-mcgrath-shuts-two-dublin-restaurants" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.hotpress.com/lifestyle-sports/hot-press-interview-dylan-mcgrath-22768337", "title": "The Hot Press Interview with Dylan McGrath", "publisher": "Hot Press", "date": "2019-03-06", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.hotpress.com/culture/bon-appetit-for-destruction-5202891", "title": "Bon appetit for destruction", "publisher": "Hot Press", "date": "2009-01-23", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/", "title": "48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)", "publisher": "Travel Extra", "date": "2023-11-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/business/2024/08/15/chef-dylan-mcgrath-shuts-two-dublin-restaurants", "title": "Chef Dylan McGrath shuts Dublin restaurants Brasserie Sixty6 and Rustic Stone", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2024-08-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/im-not-finished-yet-whats-next-for-dylan-mcgrath", "title": "\"I'm not finished yet\" – What's Next for Dylan McGrath", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2016-09-02", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://ireland-guide.com/award/chef-of-the-year-2016.2304.html", "title": "Chef of the Year 2016 | Dylan McGrath | Georgina Campbell Guides", "publisher": "Georgina Campbell Guides", "date": "2016", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/dylan-mcgrath-i-m-100-back-i-m-as-good-as-i-ve-ever-been-1.3435003", "title": "Dylan McGrath: 'I'm 100% back. I'm as good as I've ever been'", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2018-03-31", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishbookawards.ie/nominee/dad-food/", "title": "Dad Food - Irish Book Awards", "publisher": "An Post Irish Book Awards", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "from-belfast-to-london", "date": "1977-08-04", "type": "birth", "title": "Born In Dublin, Made In Belfast Kitchens", "summary": "Born in Dublin in 1977 and raised in Carlow and Belfast, Dylan McGrath bluffs his way into his first head chef job, then learns the craft properly at Roscoff.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/dylan-mcgrath/from-belfast-to-london.html", "facts": [ "McGrath was born on 4 August 1977 at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin.", "He spent his first six years in Carlow before moving to west Belfast.", "He trained at Portrush Catering College and the Belfast Institute.", "He learned his craft at Roscoff in Belfast and cooked in London with Tom Aikens." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.hotpress.com/culture/bon-appetit-for-destruction-5202891", "title": "Bon appetit for destruction", "publisher": "Hot Press", "date": "2009-01-23", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.hotpress.com/lifestyle-sports/hot-press-interview-dylan-mcgrath-22768337", "title": "The Hot Press Interview with Dylan McGrath", "publisher": "Hot Press", "date": "2019-03-06", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "michelin-star-at-mint", "date": "2008", "type": "star", "title": "A Star In Ranelagh, And Cameras In The Kitchen", "summary": "At Mint in Ranelagh, McGrath wins a Michelin star for 2008–09. An RTÉ documentary films his drive for perfection, and Mint closes in the recession.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/dylan-mcgrath/michelin-star-at-mint.html", "facts": [ "Mint, at 47 Ranelagh Village, held a Michelin star in 2008–09.", "McGrath is described as one of the youngest Irish chefs to win a star.", "The documentary The Pressure Cooker followed his push for the star.", "Mint closed in the recession after the 2008 crash." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/", "title": "48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)", "publisher": "Travel Extra", "date": "2023-11-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.hotpress.com/culture/bon-appetit-for-destruction-5202891", "title": "Bon appetit for destruction", "publisher": "Hot Press", "date": "2009-01-23", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/im-not-finished-yet-whats-next-for-dylan-mcgrath", "title": "\"I'm not finished yet\" – What's Next for Dylan McGrath", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2016-09-02", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishbookawards.ie/nominee/dad-food/", "title": "Dad Food - Irish Book Awards", "publisher": "An Post Irish Book Awards", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/business/2024/08/15/chef-dylan-mcgrath-shuts-two-dublin-restaurants", "title": "Chef Dylan McGrath shuts Dublin restaurants Brasserie Sixty6 and Rustic Stone", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2024-08-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "rustic-stone-opens", "date": "2010-08", "type": "opening", "title": "Starting Again On South Great George's Street", "summary": "In August 2010 McGrath opens Rustic Stone, a mid-market restaurant where guests cook on hot stones. It becomes the base of a new Dublin group.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/dylan-mcgrath/rustic-stone-opens.html", "facts": [ "Rustic Stone opened in August 2010.", "It was his first venture after Mint closed.", "Georgina Campbell called it simple and sensationally successful from the start.", "It seated 120 and closed in August 2024." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/business/2024/08/15/chef-dylan-mcgrath-shuts-two-dublin-restaurants", "title": "Chef Dylan McGrath shuts Dublin restaurants Brasserie Sixty6 and Rustic Stone", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2024-08-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/im-not-finished-yet-whats-next-for-dylan-mcgrath", "title": "\"I'm not finished yet\" – What's Next for Dylan McGrath", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2016-09-02", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://ireland-guide.com/award/chef-of-the-year-2016.2304.html", "title": "Chef of the Year 2016 | Dylan McGrath | Georgina Campbell Guides", "publisher": "Georgina Campbell Guides", "date": "2016", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/dylan-mcgrath-i-m-100-back-i-m-as-good-as-i-ve-ever-been-1.3435003", "title": "Dylan McGrath: 'I'm 100% back. I'm as good as I've ever been'", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2018-03-31", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "chef-of-the-year", "date": "2016", "type": "award", "title": "Chef Of The Year For Taste At Rustic", "summary": "Georgina Campbell's guide names McGrath Chef of the Year 2016 for Taste at Rustic, a Japanese-inspired room above Rustic Stone that recalls his cooking at Mint.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/dylan-mcgrath/chef-of-the-year.html", "facts": [ "McGrath was Georgina Campbell's Chef of the Year 2016.", "Taste at Rustic opened in June 2015 above Rustic Stone.", "Its food drew on Japan, Peru and Spain.", "He served as a judge on MasterChef Ireland." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://ireland-guide.com/award/chef-of-the-year-2016.2304.html", "title": "Chef of the Year 2016 | Dylan McGrath | Georgina Campbell Guides", "publisher": "Georgina Campbell Guides", "date": "2016", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "guide" }, { "url": "https://www.thetaste.ie/im-not-finished-yet-whats-next-for-dylan-mcgrath", "title": "\"I'm not finished yet\" – What's Next for Dylan McGrath", "publisher": "TheTaste", "date": "2016-09-02", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/dylan-mcgrath-i-m-100-back-i-m-as-good-as-i-ve-ever-been-1.3435003", "title": "Dylan McGrath: 'I'm 100% back. I'm as good as I've ever been'", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2018-03-31", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "shelbourne-social", "date": "2018-12", "type": "opening", "title": "Shelbourne Social Opens In Ballsbridge", "summary": "Just before Christmas 2018 McGrath opens Shelbourne Social, a split-level restaurant at the new One Ballsbridge development in Dublin 4.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/dylan-mcgrath/shelbourne-social.html", "facts": [ "Shelbourne Social was planned as a 4,500 sq ft restaurant at One Ballsbridge.", "It opened shortly before Christmas 2018.", "It was an anchor tenant in the One Ballsbridge development.", "He and Vincent Melinn then ran a group serving about 850 diners on a busy night." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/dylan-mcgrath-i-m-100-back-i-m-as-good-as-i-ve-ever-been-1.3435003", "title": "Dylan McGrath: 'I'm 100% back. I'm as good as I've ever been'", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2018-03-31", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.hotpress.com/lifestyle-sports/hot-press-interview-dylan-mcgrath-22768337", "title": "The Hot Press Interview with Dylan McGrath", "publisher": "Hot Press", "date": "2019-03-06", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/business/2024/08/15/chef-dylan-mcgrath-shuts-two-dublin-restaurants", "title": "Chef Dylan McGrath shuts Dublin restaurants Brasserie Sixty6 and Rustic Stone", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2024-08-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "secret-service-and-dad-food", "date": "2023-03", "type": "media", "title": "Secret Service, Dad Food And A Kinder Spotlight", "summary": "In 2023 McGrath fronts Dylan McGrath's Secret Service, teaching kitchen skills to people from marginalised backgrounds. His cookbook Dad Food follows in 2024.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/dylan-mcgrath/secret-service-and-dad-food.html", "facts": [ "Dylan McGrath's Secret Service taught kitchen skills to people from marginalised backgrounds.", "The Irish Times reviewed the series on 29 March 2023.", "His book Dad Food was shortlisted for Food & Drink Book of the Year at the 2024 Irish Book Awards.", "His TV work also includes MasterChef and The Pressure Cooker." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.irishbookawards.ie/nominee/dad-food/", "title": "Dad Food - Irish Book Awards", "publisher": "An Post Irish Book Awards", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/dylan-mcgrath", "title": "Dylan McGrath", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/business/2024/08/15/chef-dylan-mcgrath-shuts-two-dublin-restaurants", "title": "Chef Dylan McGrath shuts Dublin restaurants Brasserie Sixty6 and Rustic Stone", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2024-08-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" } ], "updated": "2026-10-14" }, { "rank": 9, "movement": null, "id": "kevin-dundon", "name": "Kevin Dundon", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-dundon.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 60, "recognition": 12, "media": 32, "press": 16, "sixMonthAverage": 60 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 9, "score": 60, "smoothed": 60 } ], "tagline": "The Wexford country-house chef who took Irish food to RTÉ, the BBC, PBS and an Irish pub at Disney World.", "rankReason": "Dunbrody House and cookery school since 1997, executive chef of the Shelbourne from 1994, the PBS series Modern Irish Food, Saturday Kitchen, Guerrilla Gourmet and Dancing with the Stars on RTÉ, chef partner at Raglan Road in Florida and a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025.", "born": { "date": null, "place": "Dublin", "country": "IE" }, "website": "https://www.dunbrodyhouse.com/", "knownFor": [ "Dunbrody Country House and Cookery School", "The PBS series Modern Irish Food", "Raglan Road at Disney World", "BBC's Saturday Kitchen and RTÉ cookery slots", "The cookbook Full on Irish" ], "bio": [ "Kevin Dundon was born in Dublin, learned to cook at his mother's kitchen table and graduated from the Dublin Institute of Technology in 1986. He spent around eight years in Canada with Fairmont Hotels, becoming its youngest executive head chef at 22.", "In 1994 he came home as executive chef of the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin. He and his wife Catherine bought Dunbrody House in Co Wexford in 1996 and opened it as a hotel and cookery school in May 1997.", "A cooking slot on a travel show filmed at Dunbrody turned him into a TV cook. He appeared on Saturday Kitchen and Guerrilla Gourmet, fronted Modern Irish Food on PBS in 2013, wrote Full on Irish and was chef partner at Raglan Road at Disney World until 2017.", "He later danced on RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars, and in November 2025 he received the Listowel Food Fair Lifetime Achievement Award." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "The Old Schoolhouse", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "One of his first kitchens after college.", "source": "https://kevindundon.com/about-kevin-dundon/" }, { "name": "Fairmont hotel", "city": "Calgary", "country": "CA", "role": "executive head chef", "from": null, "to": "1994", "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "He became Fairmont's youngest executive head chef at 22.", "source": "https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/kevin-dundon-bring-world-class-irish-food-to-us-tv-screens-225371222-237779741" }, { "name": "The Shelbourne Hotel", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "executive chef", "from": "1994", "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": null, "source": "https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/kevin-dundon-bring-world-class-irish-food-to-us-tv-screens-225371222-237779741" }, { "name": "Dunbrody House", "city": "Arthurstown", "country": "IE", "role": "chef-owner", "from": "1997", "to": null, "status": "open", "stars": null, "note": "An 1830s country house with the Harvest Room, a seafood bar, a pub and a cookery school.", "source": "https://www.dunbrodyhouse.com/" }, { "name": "Raglan Road", "city": "Orlando", "country": "US", "role": "chef partner", "from": null, "to": "2017", "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": "An Irish pub at Disney Springs, Walt Disney World.", "source": "https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/chef-kevin-dundon-is-saying-goodbye-to-disney-springs-raglan-road-irish-pub/" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://kevindundon.com/about-kevin-dundon/", "title": "About Kevin Dundon - Kevin Dundon online cookery courses", "publisher": "Kevin Dundon", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/kevin-dundon-bring-world-class-irish-food-to-us-tv-screens-225371222-237779741", "title": "Kevin Dundon brings world class Irish food to U.S. TV screens", "publisher": "IrishCentral", "date": "2013-09-26", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/people/first-encounters-1.3331", "title": "First encounters", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2012-12-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.dunbrodyhouse.com/", "title": "Hotels in Wexford | Wexford Hotels | Dunbrody House Hotel", "publisher": "Dunbrody House Hotel", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://hospitalityenews.ie/celeb-chef-chases-glitterball-2912/", "title": "Celeb Chef Chases Glitterball", "publisher": "Hospitality eNews", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/chef-kevin-dundon-is-saying-goodbye-to-disney-springs-raglan-road-irish-pub/", "title": "Chef Kevin Dundon Says Goodbye to Disney Springs' Raglan Road Irish Pub", "publisher": "WDWinfo", "date": "2017-12-27", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie/2025/11/13/celebrity-chef-kevin-dundon-receives-2025-listowel-food-fair-lifetime-achievement-award/", "title": "Celebrity Chef Kevin Dundon receives 2025 Listowel Food Fair Lifetime Achievement Award", "publisher": "Hotel & Restaurant Times", "date": "2025-11-13", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "from-mothers-table-to-college", "date": "1986", "type": "education", "title": "From His Mother's Table To A Caribbean Galley", "summary": "Dublin-born Kevin Dundon learns to cook from his mother, trains in Switzerland and Dublin, graduates in 1986 and heads off to cook at sea.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-dundon/from-mothers-table-to-college.html", "facts": [ "Dundon was born in Dublin.", "He learned to cook from his mother at the family kitchen table.", "After school he worked on a scholarship in Switzerland, then graduated from the Dublin Institute of Technology in 1986.", "He worked at The Old Schoolhouse in Dublin and on a Caribbean cruise liner." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://kevindundon.com/about-kevin-dundon/", "title": "About Kevin Dundon - Kevin Dundon online cookery courses", "publisher": "Kevin Dundon", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/kevin-dundon-bring-world-class-irish-food-to-us-tv-screens-225371222-237779741", "title": "Kevin Dundon brings world class Irish food to U.S. TV screens", "publisher": "IrishCentral", "date": "2013-09-26", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/people/first-encounters-1.3331", "title": "First encounters", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2012-12-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "shelbourne-executive-chef", "date": "1994", "type": "career", "title": "Youngest Head Chef In Canada, Then The Shelbourne", "summary": "After about eight years with Fairmont in Canada, where he became its youngest executive head chef at 22, Dundon returns in 1994 to run the Shelbourne kitchen.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-dundon/shelbourne-executive-chef.html", "facts": [ "At 22 he became Fairmont Hotels' youngest ever executive head chef.", "He worked for around eight years in Canada, including at a Fairmont hotel in Calgary.", "In Canada he cooked for Queen Elizabeth II at a horse show in Calgary.", "In 1994 he became executive chef of the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://kevindundon.com/about-kevin-dundon/", "title": "About Kevin Dundon - Kevin Dundon online cookery courses", "publisher": "Kevin Dundon", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/kevin-dundon-bring-world-class-irish-food-to-us-tv-screens-225371222-237779741", "title": "Kevin Dundon brings world class Irish food to U.S. TV screens", "publisher": "IrishCentral", "date": "2013-09-26", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/people/first-encounters-1.3331", "title": "First encounters", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2012-12-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "dunbrody-house-opens", "date": "1997-05", "type": "opening", "title": "Dunbrody House Opens On The Hook Peninsula", "summary": "Kevin and Catherine Dundon buy Dunbrody House in Co Wexford in 1996 and open it as a country house hotel and cookery school in May 1997.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-dundon/dunbrody-house-opens.html", "facts": [ "The Dundons bought Dunbrody in 1996 after viewing 12 to 15 properties.", "The hotel and cookery school opened in May 1997.", "Dunbrody is an 1830s house on the Hook Peninsula, set in 300 acres.", "Catherine runs front of house, sales, marketing and design." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/people/first-encounters-1.3331", "title": "First encounters", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2012-12-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/kevin-dundon-bring-world-class-irish-food-to-us-tv-screens-225371222-237779741", "title": "Kevin Dundon brings world class Irish food to U.S. TV screens", "publisher": "IrishCentral", "date": "2013-09-26", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.dunbrodyhouse.com/", "title": "Hotels in Wexford | Wexford Hotels | Dunbrody House Hotel", "publisher": "Dunbrody House Hotel", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://kevindundon.com/about-kevin-dundon/", "title": "About Kevin Dundon - Kevin Dundon online cookery courses", "publisher": "Kevin Dundon", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "full-on-irish", "date": "2006", "type": "book", "title": "A TV Slot And A Book Called Full On Irish", "summary": "A travel show filmed at Dunbrody asks Dundon to cook on camera, and the slot becomes regular. In 2006 he publishes Full on Irish: Contemporary Creative Cooking.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-dundon/full-on-irish.html", "facts": [ "His TV career began when a travel show filmed at Dunbrody asked him to cook.", "His book Full on Irish: Contemporary Creative Cooking was published in 2006.", "He appeared on Saturday Kitchen, Great Food Live, Guerrilla Gourmet and Heat.", "By 2012 he had written three books." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://irishtimes-irishtimes-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/life-and-style/people/first-encounters-1.3331", "title": "First encounters", "publisher": "The Irish Times", "date": "2012-12-15", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://kevindundon.com/about-kevin-dundon/", "title": "About Kevin Dundon - Kevin Dundon online cookery courses", "publisher": "Kevin Dundon", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://hospitalityenews.ie/celeb-chef-chases-glitterball-2912/", "title": "Celeb Chef Chases Glitterball", "publisher": "Hospitality eNews", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "modern-irish-food-on-pbs", "date": "2013-10-27", "type": "media", "title": "Modern Irish Food Reaches American Homes", "summary": "On 27 October 2013 Dundon brings Modern Irish Food to PBS, nine episodes for US viewers. He is also chef partner at Raglan Road at Disney World until 2017.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-dundon/modern-irish-food-on-pbs.html", "facts": [ "Modern Irish Food was set to debut on PBS on Sunday 27 October 2013, with nine half-hour episodes.", "Dundon was chef partner at Raglan Road at Disney Springs until December 2017.", "He left Raglan Road to focus on his family and on Dunbrody House.", "He was also the face of Nine Fine Irishmen at the New York-New York hotel in Las Vegas." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.irishcentral.com/news/irishvoice/kevin-dundon-bring-world-class-irish-food-to-us-tv-screens-225371222-237779741", "title": "Kevin Dundon brings world class Irish food to U.S. TV screens", "publisher": "IrishCentral", "date": "2013-09-26", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.wdwinfo.com/news-stories/chef-kevin-dundon-is-saying-goodbye-to-disney-springs-raglan-road-irish-pub/", "title": "Chef Kevin Dundon Says Goodbye to Disney Springs' Raglan Road Irish Pub", "publisher": "WDWinfo", "date": "2017-12-27", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://hospitalityenews.ie/celeb-chef-chases-glitterball-2912/", "title": "Celeb Chef Chases Glitterball", "publisher": "Hospitality eNews", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "lifetime-achievement-award", "date": "2025-11-08", "type": "award", "title": "A Lifetime Achievement Award In Listowel", "summary": "On 8 November 2025 the Listowel Food Fair, in its 30th year, gives Kevin Dundon its Lifetime Achievement Award for his work for Irish food.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-dundon/lifetime-achievement-award.html", "facts": [ "Dundon received the award on 8 November 2025 at the Listowel Arms Hotel.", "The 2025 festival marked the 30th anniversary of the Listowel Food Fair.", "He is managing director of Dunbrody Country House and runs its Harvest Room Restaurant.", "He competed on RTÉ's Dancing with the Stars at the age of 59." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.hotelandrestauranttimes.ie/2025/11/13/celebrity-chef-kevin-dundon-receives-2025-listowel-food-fair-lifetime-achievement-award/", "title": "Celebrity Chef Kevin Dundon receives 2025 Listowel Food Fair Lifetime Achievement Award", "publisher": "Hotel & Restaurant Times", "date": "2025-11-13", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.dunbrodyhouse.com/", "title": "Hotels in Wexford | Wexford Hotels | Dunbrody House Hotel", "publisher": "Dunbrody House Hotel", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "official" }, { "url": "https://hospitalityenews.ie/celeb-chef-chases-glitterball-2912/", "title": "Celeb Chef Chases Glitterball", "publisher": "Hospitality eNews", "date": null, "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" } ], "updated": "2026-10-14" }, { "rank": 10, "movement": null, "id": "kevin-thornton", "name": "Kevin Thornton", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-thornton.html", "country": "IE", "score": { "total": 58, "recognition": 32, "media": 16, "press": 10, "sixMonthAverage": 58 }, "history": [ { "month": "2026-10", "rank": 10, "score": 58, "smoothed": 58 } ], "tagline": "The Cashel cook who became the first Irish chef to win two Michelin stars, at Thornton's in Dublin.", "rankReason": "The first Irish chef to hold two Michelin stars (Thornton's, 2001–2005), with stars from 1996 to 2015; trained with Paul Bocuse; RTÉ series such as HEAT and Guerilla Gourmet; a photography book and Fringe show. Less in the news since Thornton's closed in 2016.", "born": { "date": null, "place": "Cashel", "country": "IE" }, "website": null, "knownFor": [ "Thornton's Restaurant in Dublin", "The first Irish chef with two Michelin stars", "Training with Paul Bocuse", "RTÉ series HEAT and Guerilla Gourmet" ], "bio": [ "Kevin Thornton comes from Cashel, Co Tipperary. He worked in the vegetable gardens of the Cashel Palace Hotel, trained in fine cooking at Galway Regional Technical College and cooked at Restaurant Paul Bocuse in France.", "After his first restaurant, the Wine Epergne, he opened Thornton's in Dublin in 1995 with his wife Muriel. It won a Michelin star in 1996 and a second in 2001, making him the first Irish chef with two stars.", "He helped set up the culinary arts degree course at the Dublin College of Catering, wrote for The Sunday Business Post and fronted RTÉ series including HEAT and Guerilla Gourmet. Thornton's, by then at the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen's Green, closed in October 2016." ], "restaurants": [ { "name": "Restaurant Paul Bocuse", "city": "Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or", "country": "FR", "role": "cook", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "left", "stars": null, "note": null, "source": "https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/dublin-exposure" }, { "name": "The Wine Epergne", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "chef-owner", "from": null, "to": null, "status": "closed", "stars": null, "note": "His first restaurant, which won rave reviews.", "source": "https://worldgourmetsummit.com/wgs2011/english/masterchef_id-26.php" }, { "name": "Thornton's", "city": "Dublin", "country": "IE", "role": "chef-owner", "from": "1995", "to": "2016", "status": "closed", "stars": 2, "note": "First on Portobello Road, later at the Fitzwilliam Hotel on St Stephen's Green; two stars 2001–2005.", "source": "https://www.thejournal.ie/article.php?id=2958756" } ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/03/14/kevin-thornton-irelands-hardest-working-chef", "title": "Kevin Thornton, Ireland's Hardest Working Chef?", "publisher": "Food Republic", "date": "2014-03-14", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://worldgourmetsummit.com/wgs2011/english/masterchef_id-26.php", "title": "Kevin Thornton", "publisher": "World Gourmet Summit", "date": "2011", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/dublin-exposure", "title": "Dublin exposure", "publisher": "Caterer & Hotelkeeper", "date": "2001-06-06", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://four-magazine.com/?p=16508", "title": "Kevin Thornton", "publisher": "FOUR Magazine", "date": "2017-03-04", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thejournal.ie/article.php?id=2958756", "title": "Thorntons announce they are to close their restaurant after it loses a Michelin star", "publisher": "TheJournal.ie", "date": "2016-09-01", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/", "title": "48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)", "publisher": "Travel Extra", "date": "2023-11-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "milestones": [ { "id": "thorntons-opens", "date": "1995", "type": "opening", "title": "From Cashel Gardens To A Room Of His Own", "summary": "A Tipperary cook who learned in hotel gardens, abattoirs and the kitchen of Paul Bocuse opens Thornton's in Dublin in 1995 with his wife Muriel.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-thornton/thorntons-opens.html", "facts": [ "Thornton worked in the vegetable gardens of the Cashel Palace Hotel and at an abattoir.", "He trained at Galway Regional Technical College and cooked at Restaurant Paul Bocuse.", "He opened Thornton's in 1995 with his wife Muriel.", "His bank manager refused him a £5,000 overdraft." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://worldgourmetsummit.com/wgs2011/english/masterchef_id-26.php", "title": "Kevin Thornton", "publisher": "World Gourmet Summit", "date": "2011", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/dublin-exposure", "title": "Dublin exposure", "publisher": "Caterer & Hotelkeeper", "date": "2001-06-06", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://four-magazine.com/?p=16508", "title": "Kevin Thornton", "publisher": "FOUR Magazine", "date": "2017-03-04", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/03/14/kevin-thornton-irelands-hardest-working-chef", "title": "Kevin Thornton, Ireland's Hardest Working Chef?", "publisher": "Food Republic", "date": "2014-03-14", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "first-michelin-star", "date": "1996", "type": "star", "title": "A Star In Nine Months", "summary": "Only nine months after opening, Thornton's wins its first Michelin star in 1996. The restaurant on Portobello Road becomes a name in Dublin dining.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-thornton/first-michelin-star.html", "facts": [ "Thornton won his first Michelin star within nine months of opening.", "His stars ran from 1996, first at Portobello Road and later at the Fitzwilliam Hotel.", "The restaurant then had around 45 seats and five cooks." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/dublin-exposure", "title": "Dublin exposure", "publisher": "Caterer & Hotelkeeper", "date": "2001-06-06", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/", "title": "48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)", "publisher": "Travel Extra", "date": "2023-11-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://worldgourmetsummit.com/wgs2011/english/masterchef_id-26.php", "title": "Kevin Thornton", "publisher": "World Gourmet Summit", "date": "2011", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "second-michelin-star", "date": "2001", "type": "star", "title": "The First Irish Chef With Two Stars", "summary": "In 2001 Thornton's wins a second Michelin star. Kevin Thornton becomes the first Irish chef to hold two stars, and holds them until 2005.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-thornton/second-michelin-star.html", "facts": [ "Thornton's won its second Michelin star in 2001.", "Thornton was the first Irish chef to receive two Michelin stars.", "The restaurant held two stars from 2001 to 2005.", "Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud was then Dublin's only other two-star restaurant." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/dublin-exposure", "title": "Dublin exposure", "publisher": "Caterer & Hotelkeeper", "date": "2001-06-06", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thejournal.ie/article.php?id=2958756", "title": "Thorntons announce they are to close their restaurant after it loses a Michelin star", "publisher": "TheJournal.ie", "date": "2016-09-01", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/03/14/kevin-thornton-irelands-hardest-working-chef", "title": "Kevin Thornton, Ireland's Hardest Working Chef?", "publisher": "Food Republic", "date": "2014-03-14", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/", "title": "48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)", "publisher": "Travel Extra", "date": "2023-11-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "food-for-life", "date": "2007", "type": "book", "title": "Food For Life, On The Page And On Stage", "summary": "Thornton publishes Food for Life, a book of his photography, to fund medical research, and turns it into a show at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2007.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-thornton/food-for-life.html", "facts": [ "His book Food for Life showcases his photography, with profits going to research into meningococcal disease.", "He adapted it into a performance at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2007.", "He presented RTÉ series including No Experience Required, Guerilla Gourmet and two series of HEAT.", "He has also worked in radio and books." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://four-magazine.com/?p=16508", "title": "Kevin Thornton", "publisher": "FOUR Magazine", "date": "2017-03-04", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/03/14/kevin-thornton-irelands-hardest-working-chef", "title": "Kevin Thornton, Ireland's Hardest Working Chef?", "publisher": "Food Republic", "date": "2014-03-14", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.thecaterer.com/archive/dublin-exposure", "title": "Dublin exposure", "publisher": "Caterer & Hotelkeeper", "date": "2001-06-06", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" }, { "id": "thorntons-closes", "date": "2016-10-29", "type": "closing", "title": "The Last Service At Thornton's", "summary": "After losing its last Michelin star in 2015 and facing high rents, Thornton's closes on 29 October 2016, ending one of Dublin's great fine dining stories.", "url": "https://happychef.cloud/en/star-chefs/kevin-thornton/thorntons-closes.html", "facts": [ "Thornton's held one Michelin star from 2006 until September 2015.", "The last day of business was 29 October 2016.", "The Thorntons named the loss of the star and high rent as reasons.", "Thornton planned to focus on his cooking masterclasses." ], "sources": [ { "url": "https://www.thejournal.ie/article.php?id=2958756", "title": "Thorntons announce they are to close their restaurant after it loses a Michelin star", "publisher": "TheJournal.ie", "date": "2016-09-01", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.travelextra.ie/48-and-counting-all-of-irelands-michelin-restaurants-back-to-matt-dowlings-declan-ryans-time/", "title": "48 and counting: All of Ireland's Michelin restaurants (back to Myrtle Allen's time)", "publisher": "Travel Extra", "date": "2023-11-18", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" }, { "url": "https://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/03/14/kevin-thornton-irelands-hardest-working-chef", "title": "Kevin Thornton, Ireland's Hardest Working Chef?", "publisher": "Food Republic", "date": "2014-03-14", "consulted": "2026-10-14", "kind": "press" } ], "published": "2026-10-14" } ], "updated": "2026-10-14" } ], "formerTop10": [], "rankingNews": [] }