Five well-known Irish chefs face one of the most daunting challenges of their careers when they report for duty at the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road, Dublin 4 next week, to prepare dinner for more than 900 of their industry colleagues.
The 9th annual Irish Restaurant Awards take place on Monday night, and the chefs tasked with cooking the banquet this year are Jonathan Keane from The Lodge at Ashford Castle (starter), Gary O'Hanlon of Viewmount House (soup), Kevin Aherne of Sage in Midleton (fish), Gareth Mullins of The Marker Hotel (main course) and David Gilmore from James Street South (dessert).
Finbarr Higgins, executive chef at the hotel hosting the awards , will be on canapé duty. Higgins recently joined the Clayton after 24 years at The K Club in Straffan.
The winner of the Dublin round of the Rewarding Times Local Food Hero will be announced on the night, from a shortlist of Erik and Michelle Robson (Ely wine bars), Brid and Colm Carter (Honest2Goodness market), David Llewellyn (Fruit and Vine) and Jenny and Patrick McNally (McNally Family Farm), and Kieran Harnett (The Dublin Honey Project).
The winner will then join regional winners Stefan Griesbach of Gannet Fishmongers (Connaught); Mag Kirwan of Goatsbridge Trout Farm (Leinster); Michael Kelly of Grow HQ (Munster; and food writer, broadcaster and chef Paula McIntyre (Ulster), in the judging for the National Food Hero award, won last year by Irish Times Magazine columnist JP McMahon.
