Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Top Ulster chef tastes success
Big prize on the menu for Alex
ONE of Northern Ireland’s top chefs is hoping to dish up a prestigious prize.
Al e x Gre e n e , from Belfast Michelin Star eatery Deane’s Eipic. has made the final in The Staff Canteen’s prestigious Chef of the Year awards 2020.
The head chef will be up against some tough competition, including well-known TV cook Tom Kerridge.
The 31-year-old is no stranger to the pressure th ou g h h av i n g appeared on the Great British Menu on BBC.
Alex said he is honoured to have even been nominated for the award.
He added: “To be in it to start with was an honour, never mind getting down to the final six against some of the biggest names in the industry.
“Staff Canteen is always associated with the best of the best so it’s pretty cool to be shortlisted.
“It takes more than one person to nominate you to be shortlisted and I know obviously Michael [Deane] nominated me, but there has to
have been others. I don’t know who else, but Staff Canteen did say there were quite a few nominations before it got to the shortlist.
“The response from social media has been overwhelming.
“On the first shortlist there was also Tom Aikens and people like that and he’s not on the final six now, so to even have gained more votes than him to get into the final, you just have to pinch yourself to make sure it’s actually happened.”
From Dundrum, Co Down, Alex said he has been hugely influenced by Michael who allowed him to pursue his ambition of taking part in the Great British Menu.
He added: “I’ve been in kitchens since I was 12, but I’ve been a chef for 16 years.
“I started washing dishes in the kitchen and from there there was no other choice, I was very happy with it and I just felt it was what I wanted to do.
“Michael has been a massive influence on my career and has been a massive support and still is, he’s a big part of where I am today.
“Even when I was in the Great British Menu he was a great supporter of me and he just wants to see younger people in the industry do well.
“The platform of TV was massive and it gave me a massive boost.”
Vo t i n g e n d s t o mor r o w a t www.thestaffcanteen.com/chef-ofthe-year/nominations