My Weekend: Cork chef says 'Our week is totally upside down' working in hospitality

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in Togher and when I finished in Bishopstown Community School, I went on to study Culinary Arts in CIT.

I already worked in hospitality and I’ve always loved food so it seemed like a natural step to take at the time. You didn’t need a lot of points to get in and it was such a fun department to study in.

Once I had my degree I moved to Kinsale to start work in kitchens and my first chef job was in The White House.

I was there for a number of years, and then in 2017, I came to The Pavilion to help out as a favour to my friend for a few weeks at Christmas time, and I ended up staying on as I really liked what they do here.

From the very start, I loved the family culture and the ion they have for locally sourced seasonal produce which is always a pleasure to work with. 

I also think it’s great that we are all encouraged to bring our ideas to the table, so I’m still here seven years later.

I’ve always been really interested in the nutrition side of food so to enhance my knowledge and to upskill, I’m doing a Masters in Food Nutrition and Health at UCD. The course is fully online and I can do it at my own pace which is ideal when you have a full time job and still try to have a life outside of it.

On the personal side of things, I’ve been with my husband Fintan, who also works in hospitality, for 11 years. We met while working together, and eloped in September last year in Galway City.

We love travelling all around Ireland as we enjoy hiking, and Galway has always been one of our favourite places, so we chose to head there for our special day.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

As we work in hospitality, our week is totally upside down, so we work at the weekend and our ‘weekend’ starts during the week. The day before I would normally be relaxing after a busy Sunday service and if there is good weather forecasted, we would be planning routes for our hiking adventure the next day.

Lie-ins or up with the lark? Which is it for you?

On my days off, and my work days actually, I’m always up early.

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

I work weekends, so yes very much so, but on my days off I do my best to leave work behind and enjoy the downtime.

If money was no object where would you head to on a weekend city break? And who would you bring with you?

Queenstown in New Zealand has the most incredible mountains and lakes. I feel like it would be a good start to a once in a lifetime adventure throughout all of New Zealand.

I would also love to go to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Georgian food is superb, it’s Middle Eastern and so delicious. We went to Greece last year and found a Georgian restaurant and it blew me away. Loved how unusual it was to our pallet. I’d bring my husband Fintan. I’d be killed if I didn’t say him!

Closer to home, is there some place you like to head to recharge the batteries?

I love being anywhere near water. Sheeps Head is one of my favourites, and we just went there hiking and camping last week. I feel that this peninsula has everything to offer; hikes, walks, beaches, piers for swims, lakes and cute small villages that are full of character.

Do you like to catch up with family/ friends at the weekend?

When work permits, or when I book it well in advance. The problem with being off during the week is a lot of people are at work. So I don’t wait for days off, instead try meet my nearest and dearest in the evenings after work.

Do you get to indulge any hobbies? Even as a spectator?

Beside hiking and a little bit of sea swimming, I have started running just over a year ago. I started by g up to a 10km run with the Cork City Marathon in 2023, completed the half marathon this year and have already signed up to the full marathon with the Cork City Marathon in 2025.

It has been a slow journey as it’s something that I haven’t done in many, many, many years, but it is so rewarding and worth it.

Anybody who has ever thought of doing it should sign up for one of the races with the Cork City Marathon, not only is the course lovely, but the people of Cork are the best ers on the streets. They were absolutely wonderful.

Entertain or be entertained? If it’s the latter do you have a signature dish?

I love entertaining. I wouldn’t really have a signature dish but I like anything you can put in the centre for sharing.

My table will always have a selection of home-made dips with breads, some salads, some slow-cooked meats and many more.

I like consulting some recipe books by Yotam Ottolenghi for ideas and inspiration as I absolutely love the Middle Eastern flavours.

When we entertain, I always get carried away, I always start off saying I’ll keep it simple and do one or two dishes and then I end up cooking way too much so everybody gets a doggy bag when I roll them out the door!

We have so many places to eat out in Cork. Where are your go-to spots for coffee/ lunch/ special meal?

Cork Coffee Roasters is my favourite spot for a coffee in the city. Market Lane for a spot of fancy lunch and Bulman in Kinsale is a very special place for some beautiful seafood with a view.

I have to say though, that the Marina Market is a place that I go to the most when I go to meet up with friends. You are spoiled for choices there with all the vibrant stalls that are serving quality produce, and I love the atmosphere there. Absolutely perfect if you want to get a walk in Blackrock and want a casual bite to eat after.

Sunday night comes around too fast. How do you normally spend it?

Sunday night is normally relaxing time, but the last day of my days off is normally enroute home from somewhere up the country.

What time does your alarm clock go off on Monday morning?

6am every day when I am working but I usually snooze it till 6.15.

Anything else you are up to right now...

We have just bought a van, which is going to be our new project to convert for camping. It will allow us to spend even more time travelling around Ireland and maybe even abroad. At the moment it is just a blank canvas, but we have great plans for it with time.