A little About Me..

I was born in 1971 in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland and being the oldest boy of four and having a father as a chef had its perks.

I will always remember growing up with some of the most memorable meals to eat and showing off some of the most amazing birthday cakes you could imagine. What always amazed me as a young boy was witnessing my dad turning simple ingredients into something spectacular for the dinner table which seemed to be no problem on his behalf.

Food plays a very important role in our lives and it will either trigger happy or sad memories of our childhoods and for me,

thank goodness, they were happy ones.

Well, after many years of listening to my father telling me why I shouldn’t become a chef, I finally got accepted into chef’s college in 1988 and there I stayed for 3 years full-time completing my City & Guilds 706/1, 706/2 & 706/3.

During this time I got my first job working in a small bouquet hotel in Northern Ireland to help pay my way through college. I emerged in 1991 after been awarded best chef student over three years. What an honor it was to kick off my career in the hospitality world.

Since then, I have worked in some the finest restaurants and hotels in Ireland, England, Scotland, United States and Australia. The experience I have gained working with such a diverse array of cultures over the years and the knowledge I have gathered is now being put to good use here in New Zealand.

I currently write for the essentially food magazine and the Waikato Times newspaper along with my articles published in some of the hospitality magazines from time to time and I am a full member of the New Zealand Food Writers Guild.

You will also find me demonstrating at various food shows and different venues throughout the year. My philosophy is to keep food simple and let the true flavour of food speak for its self.

Slán go fóill (goodbye for now)