Restaurant is going to be wine & dandy
Maitre d’ John corks diner chaos
our lesson over the years. We started out not considering how people might behave or what they’d say.
“But now everybody is interviewed in a vetting process.”
And it’s not just diners who behave badly – he’s also had to deal with overbearing judges and celebrity chef divas who think they know better than the professionals.
He added: “Rachel is fantastic because with Marco Pierre White you need somebody
John Healy
John Healy, right, with Stephen Mcallister and Rory Cowan
who can handle him – and she proved that on the first night.” Guest chefs Alan Shatter and Enda Kenny are among John’s favourites over the past 17 years, along with Brent Pope, George Hook and Tracey Piggott. He revealed: “We gave Gerald Kean his big break. He was great craic, he will talk for Ireland. “He was non-stop in the kitchen all day, entertaining us. “I think we are all too professional to allow any real disasters to leave
the kitchen but we’ve had a few chefs who may not have heeded advice.
“Poor Jackie Lavin had a lot of experience around her and didn’t use it. When you try too hard it doesn’t always work.”
But having worked at some of the poshest eateries in London, John says he never gets star-struck at The Restaurant.
He added: “When you’ve given out to Robbie Williams for going out the back to smoke then not much will faze you. I’m more star struck by guest chefs.”
The Restaurant is on TV3 on Wednesdays at 9pm.
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