Picture: Valerie O’Sullivan
A KILLARNEY culinary master has been crowned Kerry’s best chef.
Chad Byrne, head chef at The Brehon, has been named the best in the county in the Munster finals of the Irish Restaurant Awards which took place in Cork.
Over 500 people attended the regional final where the top establishments and chefs in each county were chosen and Chad had more reason than most to have a smile on his face as he drove back over the county bounds with the award in his possession.
Adrian Cummins, Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland, remarked: “The awards continue to showcase the exquisite and admirable calibre of food available in our restaurants and pubs.”
He added: “Online nominations have increased from 9,000 in 2013 to over 80,000 this year and with the increase in interest comes an increase in standards, making the judging process more difficult than ever.”
Winner Chad said: “Being the chef in a hotel does not just mean delivering excellent restaurant food, it encompasses the whole hotel experience from a great breakfast to a brilliant meal in the bar – it’s about attention to detail and doing the small things really well.”
He added: “I’m delighted for the team as winning this award proves it’s all about the detail and working together in a fun and friendly environment. If you can deliver on this while maintaining standards and focus, work doesn’t seem like work. It is very much a team effort here in The Brehon and I’d like to thank everyone for their hard work and dedication – you are only as good as your team.”
“I’ve some great guys working with me and they’re all different nationalities, so I’ll always ask them for a dish from home and we’ll get ideas from that. We’ll take elements from that style of cuisine and incorporate them as best we can without ruining or complicating the dish, simple is good in my opinion”.
As well as his role as head chef at The Brehon, Chad also oversees culinary innovation for the Gleneagle Group. His latest project had been the development of a new menu for The Brehon bar, to be launched on April 10, featuring exciting new additions like slow-roasted Irish beef brisket on Arabic flatbread, Chef Fayyaz’s chicken tikka curry and Chef Abraham’s streetfood-style zesty marinated lamb pieces.
Other Kerry entries to make at the awards included:
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- Best Casual Dining: O’Neills The Point
- Best Emerging Irish Cuisine: Global Village
- Best Kids Size Me: The Boathouse
- Best Free From: Bookstop Café
- Best World Cuisine: Giovannelli
- Best Restaurant Manager: Jim McGrath, The Oyster Tavern
- Best Wine Experience: Sol y Sombra Tapas Bar & Restaurant
- Pub of the Year: Nora Murphy’s Pub, Brandon Pier
- Best Café: Maison Gourmet
- Best Customer Service: Giovannelli
- Best Gastro Pub: McMunn’s Bar
- Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant: Park Hotel, Kenmare
- Best Newcomer: Croí Restaurant
- Best Restaurant: Mulcahys
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