KADY AND THE KITCHEN OF DREAMS

Kady O’Connell is a brand specialist and food blogger who grew up in Limerick then moved to Dublin after she finished art college. Having spent many summers abroad, she always loved travel and soon she and her boyfriend (now fiance) decided they were ready for a change.

Sydney seemed to offer opportunity for Kady’s design career, along with beach and sunshine. They left, swearing they would never end up as typical Irish backpackers living in Bondi — but once they laid eyes on the beach, that was it! They fell in love and are there to this day.

Inspired by the Bondi lifestyle of sand, sun, sea and amazing food and restaurants, Kady started a food blog, Kady’s Kitchen, to document the many new dishes she was trying. Through this she got to know some of the top food bloggers and authors in Sydney and immersed herself in the food scene, helping with photography, recipe creation and design.

Kady returns to Ireland at least once a year and is very involved in Irish-Australian business groups. She is on the board of the Lansdowne Club, involved with the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce’s Emerald Influence group and also on the committee of the Light Ball in aid of Pieta House.

“Food is a way of bringing people together and building connections,” says Kady. “Growing up, I would always go to my grandmother Carrie Clancy’s house for a Sunday roast. It is one of my absolute favourite memories and moving to Sydney, I found cooking so therapeutic and making some of my favourite home comforts is the closest cure I’ve found for home-sickness.”

Of Behind the Half Door, she says “this is for all of the Irish ex-pats who want to re-connect with their heritage. Most of my work is online, using the latest technology. On the other hand, Biddy is not such a tech lover! She once tried to crush garlic on my Macbook, mistaking it for a chopping board! There’ve been some hilarious scenarios of us working together for this book”.