VISITING CHEFS AND LOCAL TRAINEES FEED THE MASSES AT SPECIAL EVENT IN MARQUEE

IT was a sure fire recipe for success when a raft of gifted chefs rolled up their sleeves and, in conjunction with the amazing trainee chefs at IRD Duhallow, served up a gourmet four course meal to 102 diners in the fully equipped marquee at IRD headquarters in Newmarket.

Visiting chefs John O’Leary from the Muckross Park Hotel, Chad Byrne (The Brehon), Dan Moynihan (The Brehon), Rick Milnes (Dillon’s, Timoleague), Trevor O’Keeffe (The Gleneagle), and Paul McDonald (The Bastion, Kinsale) arrived at IRD at 2pm in the afternoon and from then on it was full steam ahead with preparations for the event.

The fully fledged chefs mentored Chantal Cleary, Katriona Cullinane and Claire Guerin who were thrilled to pick up some culinary tips and further hone their own skills.

IRD trainee chef Chantal Cleary told The Corkman how there was a fantastic reaction from those who attended the event. “Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal and said they would love to see it repeated in the near future,” Chantal said.

“There was a great buzz while we were all working simultaneously in the kitchen doing the prep. The visiting chefs were very cool, calm and efficient and let us work away at preparing all the different dishes,” she said.

The purpose of the Dining Delight event was to highlight the need for retaining people in the catering industry.

Kathleen Moylan and Rita O’Flynn, Castlemagner, Bernie O’Connor and Nuala Hourigan, Newmarket, and Eileen Hartnett, Glash, enjoying the Dining Delight evening.

Chef Chad Byrne from the Brehon Hotel in Killarney mentored local Chef Chantal Cleary during the Dining Delight Evening which was hosted by IRD Duhallow.

Noreen and Michael Twohig, Kanturk, enjoying the evening.

Maureen Weir, Kilflynn, Joan O’Connell, Ballydesmond and Bridget Herlihy, Castleisland.