On The Town: Head chefs gathered in the Four Seasons hotel, Dublin, to learn the winners of the Food & Wine Magazine Restaurant of the Year Awards 2004.
The overall chef of the year, Ross Lewis, head chef and co-proprietor with Martin Corbett of Chapter One, said that, as in squash, "the more time you hit the ball up against the wall, the better it bounces. We're a 14-year overnight success".
Working in the kitchen with 11 others, "we have a fairly mature and controlled attitude", said the Cork man, who graduated with a degree in dairy science from UCC in 1983, before heading to the US and starting out in the hotel and catering industry. "Your staff are absolutely everything to you," he said.
His advice to would-be chefs, before he was rushed away to be photographed with his wife, Jessica Lewis, was "continued hard work will always be repaid and always look after your health".
"The secret is your customer, dealing with everything from feeding their meter to . . . making them feel welcome," said Chapter One co-proprietor Martin Corbett, whose restaurant won five top awards, including best Dublin restaurant, overall restaurant of the year and best service of the year.
"Look after the customer and keep fresh and enthusiastic," said Derry Clarke, of L'Écrivain. "An award is a double-edged sword. It gets harder because you've got to match people's expectations."
Restaurant chefs and owners from all over Ireland came to meet friends, congratulate each other and swap tips. Twin brothers Simon and Christian Stokes, of Bang restaurant, summed up their advice, in Christian's words: "Keep it simple, don't complicate it and the customer is king."
A total of 35 awards were made over the course of an afternoon when the chefs and restaurant patrons dined on a meal prepared by Four Seasons executive chef Terry White.