Four Cork chefs through to final of major culinary competition
Joseph Quane has reached the finals of the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition
Cork’s culinary future is looking bright with four of the county’s best young chefs reaching the final of the prestigious Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year Competition, 2025.
Young chefs participating in the competition are mentored by seasoned chefs, giving them the benefit of their time and experience to perfect a dish based on a key ingredient.
Chefs from or based in Cork make up four of this year’s six finalists. Rob Martin of Apple HQ (mentor, Richard Murray); Nell McCarthy of dede (mentor, Ahmet Dede); Eoghan O’Flynn from The Cove at Fota Resort (mentor, Alex Petit), and Joseph Quane of Dublin’s Allta (mentor, Niall Davidson).
Judging is tough but fair, drawing on exceptional Irish culinary talent such as Mickeal Viljanen of 2-Michelin Star Chapter One, Mark Moriarty, Gareth Mullins of Anantara The Marker, Domini Kemp of Valence Hospitality, and Conor Halpenny of Square Dundalk and Commissioner General of Euro-Toques Ireland.
Conor said the competition gives young chefs a chance to test themselves, showcase their creativity, and gain confidence in their own cooking.
“The Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition is such an important platform. What I love most is seeing how the interest grows every year, the standard just keeps getting higher, and it’s clear the future of Irish food is in good hands.
“I’m not surprised to see so many talented chefs from Cork in the finals. The food culture is so strong, and with such a wealth of local producers on their doorstep, young chefs are constantly surrounded by great ingredients and big ideas. There is a lot of young talent in Cork and a lot of interesting kitchens that nurture young talent. It’s a brilliant environment to learn in, and we can really see that coming through in the competition this year.”
In 2023, Shauna Murphy clinched the overall title while working as a Chef de Partie at 2 Michelin-starred Terre at Castlemartyr Resort and was invited back to be a judge this year.
“Winning the competition in 2023 has had a huge impact on my career. I’ve been given so many opportunities from cooking demos to visiting colleges and schools where I get to talk with students and inspire them to take the leap into becoming chefs. I especially love showing young women that there’s a place for us in this industry, and that we can absolutely do it too.
“It feels a little surreal to be asked back as a judge because it wasn’t that long ago that I was standing in the finalists’ shoes myself. I feel really honoured to be part of their journey now and support the next young chefs as they make their mark. It’s really inspiring to watch them grow through the process, and to see that passion shine through. It makes me so excited for the future of Irish food.”
Every year, the Euro-Toques top table selects ingredients for its young chefs to use in creating unique dishes. Euro-Toques is a community of chefs and producers and showcasing great Irish produce fosters connections within that community. Chefs are challenged to learn about ingredients ideal for creating dishes with sustainability at their core.
For the semi-final, chefs were asked to work with megrim - a flatfish abundant in Irish waters but usually exported to Europe.
Conor explains why showcasing this fish is important.
“Each year, we choose a theme for the competition in line with Euro-Toques’ ethos. This year the theme is: Forgotten Foods: Honouring Ireland’s Larder’,” says Conor.
“When I’m choosing the key ingredient, I think about what’s seasonal, sustainable, and reflective of the great produce we have here. This year, for the semifinal we went with megrim because it’s an incredible Irish flatfish that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. It’s affordable, versatile, and full of flavour; I felt it was a great challenge for the chefs, but also a way to shine a light on a really underused ingredient.”
For the final, Irish produce with a strong sense of traditionality and story has been selected. Rare-breed pork, Irish apples, and heritage potatoes will grace the larder for the final event, taking place in October.
“These ingredients represent the kind of quality, seasonality, and connection to place we want the young chefs to engage with. They’re ingredients with a story, and it’s exciting to see how each finalist will interpret them on the plate,” says Conor.
So how did our Cork chefs interpret the megrim brief for the semi-final?
Eoghan O’Flynn: Butter Poached Megrim, Summer Garden Salad, Beurre Blanc.
“I chose these ingredients because I felt, no matter what, everything put forward would be seasonal,” says Eoghan.
“To me, summer food has always been about balancing bitter flavours with the sweetness summer brings, which is why I chose radish, turnip and Cavolo Nero to complement the sweetness of the beurre blanc and buttery megrim.
“Megrim wouldn’t be my top pick for a fish dish, however, as our waters struggle to replenish and sustain life, it has become increasingly important to find ways to elevate underutilised ingredients we are surrounded by to improve sustainability and our effect on the environment.”
Eoghan made it to the finals in 2023. What would it mean to him to win the title this year?
“It would mean a great deal. I’ve had some particularly formative kitchen and life experience since then and to have it recognised on a national platform while up against such impressive competition would really be a major achievement.”
Joseph Quane: Poached Megrim, Beurre Blanc with Trout Roe and Wild Asparagus.
“When I found out it was fish, I was thinking solely about technique and how to showcase skill, so I filleted the fish and cured it lightly in 50:50 salt/sugar with a sprinkling of orange, lime and lemon zest,” said Joseph.
“Megrim is a very delicate fish so to poach it in butter, the curing was necessary to keep it together. The best sauce to go with the fish is beurre blanc with champagne vinegar and butter from Salt Rock Dairy [Co Wexford]. The trout roe adds dimension and a little colour, and for the veg I went with baby fennel and wild asparagus dressed lightly in balsamic and olive oil.”
Joseph says entering the competition has been great for meeting other like-minded chefs.
“I entered because it’s a great way to meet new people in the industry, especially within the Euro-Toques community. It’s a great way to put yourself out there, foster creativity, and improve culinary skills. I found difficulty with overcoming a bit of social anxiety when approaching deadlines, although I think it helps to build character,” says Joseph.
“It would mean the world to me to be named Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year. It would be an affirmation of where I’m at. Although the competition is tough, having gotten to know all the other finalists a bit better, it would be great to see any one of them holding that trophy.”
Nell McCarthy: Pan fried Megrim, Fresh Herb and Sea Spaghetti Beurre Blanc, Gooseberries, Romesco, Ricotta, Tomatoes, Almond and Dingle Sea Salt.
“I didn’t knowingly cook any of these things based on memory, but nostalgia and food are built into one another,” said Nell.
“Frying fish seemed obvious as it was always the way my mum cooked it, and sea spaghetti is a direct link to my mentor, Ahmet Dede; him teaching me about different seaweeds and us foraging together.
“I was really delighted to see megrim being showcased. I’ve been to Glenmar Shellfish to do research on my written recipe, which is another part of the competition. Talking to fisherman about forgotten food, when it comes to fish they spoke of megrim; how it was not being utilised, and most of their abundant stock is exported. Euro-Toques is directly showcasing the food community it is representingby highlighting this ingredient.”
Rob Martin’s dish is megrim presented two ways: Pan-fried Fillet, Roasted Bone Beurre Blanc split with Chervil Oil, Goatsbridge Trout Roe, Romanesco Sauce, Seasonal Vegetables sautéed in Black Garlic and Herb Butter, Pickled Beetroot. Megrim Ceviche with Radish, Candy Beetroot, Goatsbridge Trout Roe, Chervil, Lemon Achill Island Salt and Seaweed.
“For this dish, I tried to keep to classic lavour combinations and elevate them through technique,” said Rob. “The sauce brings me back to when I first started as a chef. There was a roasted turbot bone beurre blanc on the menu and I remember how that changed my perspective of what a simple sauce can do for a dish. Megrim was a great choice; it was quite tricky to remove the skin and fillet which forced me to be creative by using the back side fillets for ceviche, as it’s such a delicate fish. It’s often a by-catch in Ireland and not sought after as much as other fish, like sole. In showcasing megrim, hopefully more people will use it.
“Winning would be a culmination of all my years spent in the kitchen, skills I’ve learned, and to showcase that to Ireland’s culinary world. I would love to be able to win and show my mentors how far I’ve come thanks to them teaching me. It would be a massive stepping stone for my career to work towards being an ambassador for Irish cooking, produce and restaurants.”
Multi-award winning pastry chef, JR Ryall is best known for his sweet creations that grace the famous Ballymaloe dessert trolley and is part of the judging team. I asked JR what stood out for him from this year’s entrants.
“I love to see how each young chef interprets the theme of the competition. This year, the standard is the highest I’ve seen with so many original and creative dishes submitted. I was impressed that so many of the young chefs took a ‘waste not, want not’ approach in their recipes using every part of the key produce and often choosing to use less expensive ingredients. I could see a real focus on Ireland’s traditional larder.
“This year’s theme, ‘Forgotten Foods: Honouring Ireland’s Larder’, provoked entrants to consider the history and legacy of Ireland’s larder. Across the board, I could see great pride and excitement in how the chefs introduced and explained their dishes. Many entrants brilliantly joined the dots between provenance of their chosen Irish ingredients while looking through a contemporary lens with modern presentations. I’m very excited to see who wins.”
Manuela Spinelli is Head of Community for Eurotoques Ireland, and says the contest is also about young chefs shaping the future of Irish gastronomy.
“[The competition] provides a vital platform for young chefs to express themselves, showcase their talent, and gain visibility within the industry. The programme opens doors to invaluable opportunities: participants take part in masterclasses, travel Ireland to learn from producers, and experience culinary inspiration abroad. [It’s] the most prestigious culinary competition in Ireland that celebrates excellence and places Ireland on the global stage.” The competition is sponsored by La Rousse Foods with the finals taking place at Dublin Cookery School in October.
May the best chef win!
- See www.euro-toques.ie
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