My Weekend: There's always a great buzz in the kitchen on Saturdays and Sundays

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I was born and raised in Farranree, in the northside of the city as part of a large family. I have three brothers and three sisters. I’m currently married to my beautiful wife and together we’re raising three wonderful children.

I have been a chef now for more than 30 years and it is something I have a real passion for since graduating from CIT in 1988. I love exploring different cooking techniques and using the freshest ingredients possible on The Pavilion menu.

What is your ideal way to spend a Friday night?

 My ideal Friday night is relaxing at home, watching some TV with my family.

Lie ins or up with the lark.. which is it for you?

Oh, I am an early bird for sure. I always preferred the mornings.

Does work creep into your weekend at all?

The majority of my weekends, I am at work so I would say yes. I never really minded though, there’s always a great buzz on Saturdays and Sundays in the kitchen.

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

I would love to go to Paris with my loving wife. Paris always was a dream destination for me, the cuisine, the sights, it really has everything to offer.

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

Garretstown beach is one of my favourite little spots to go for a walk and relax, especially during the summer.

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

I love playing darts with friends and follow the PDC competitions very closely. I was a huge fan of Phil Taylor whilst he was playing.

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

I don’t have any one dish that I would call my signature dish. I have been lucky enough to work with some amazing chefs across all different types of menus. For me, it’s about satisfying the customer and always learning new things to bring to the table.

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

Man Friday in Kinsale is fantastic, great food.

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

Sunday night, I always try to relax with my family before kicking back into it.

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

I really am an early bird and my alarm goes off at 5.45am.