Former pot-washer now best young chef in the land

THE titles of Best Young Chef in Connaught and Best Young Chef in Ireland have been bestowed on 21-year-old Belmullet man Brian Murphy.

Brian has been working in the boutique Talbot Hotel since he was 16, where he started in the wash-up area of the kitchen. He has since worked his way up, and is also now studying professional cookery in GMIT.

For the judging, which was overseen by Eoin McDonnell, the president of the Irish Panel of Chefs, Brian prepared a menu based on the legendary story of the Children of Lir, who are said to be buried on Inis Gluaire - a deserted island off the coast of Erris.

Brian foraged his own ingredients for the meal. The kitchen staff of the award-winning Barony Restaurant in The Talbot Hotel pride themselves on the provenance of their dishes, their motto being ‘true to season, true to region’. Indeed, Brian’s winning five-course meal included local king scallops, lobster, wild Atlantic salmon, Achill organic smoked salmon, and Erris carrageen.

Reacting to the awards, the talented young Belmullet man said: “If you had told me back in 2010, when I was the pot-washer, that I would be named Ireland’s best young chef, I wouldn’t have believed you in a million years.

“But I have really enjoyed the last few years, learning from Chef Brendan Conmy, and I am grateful to have the opportunities that I have now. I still have a lot to learn, and I’m looking forward to what the future brings. In the meantime, I’m just enjoying working on the Christmas menus, and I’m looking forward to celebrating the holidays in Erris.”

The 2016 YesChef Awards - which honour the work of Ireland’s hard-working chefs, both young and old - took place in the last month.