Secure your spot on the nice list this Christmas at Ruairi’s Kitchen

Ruairi Domican Byrne is a man who appreciates the finer things in life — as anyone who’s seen or tasted one of the masterpieces from his bakery, Ruairi’s Kitchen, can quickly tell.

While this quality of his plays no small part in inspiring the luxurious and jaw-droppingly beautiful bespoke cakes that he’s become known for, it’s also, naturally, what’s made him so besotted with Cork.

“I grew up near Macroom, out by the Gaeltacht area, and then moved to the city when I was about 17,” Ruairi shares. “That was nearly two decades ago now, and I’ve never left the city since.

“My husband Eduardo is originally from Brazil and saw all sorts of places before he settled down here in Ireland — he’s always had the travel bug but I’ve just never wanted to move away from Cork! Once I’d decided to set up my own business, it was really important to me to keep it Cork based.” 

That decision turned out to be an incredibly wise one. Since he founded Ruairi’s Kitchen just over two years ago, support from the local Cork community has helped the business go from strength to strength — so much so that Ruairi is now ready to get stuck in to the company’s biggest project yet next year.

“At the moment, Ruairi’s Kitchen is just me flying solo, and everything’s done from my small apartment in Douglas Street,” he explains. “It’s all HSE registered and has passed inspections with flying colours, so I just keep everything separate for business use and personal use. However, as the business has grown, I’m now hoping to open up a whole new premises. I’ll be hoping to open a bakery and coffee shop in May next year if all goes according to plan!”

“I worked in the hospitality industry for most of my life, as a waiter, bartender, manager, you name it. I felt that hospitality was my lifelong career, it was what I was going to do forever. When Covid came along though, I realised I couldn’t just sit around and wait for the industry to open up again. It had always been my dream to set up my own business, so the pandemic was the kick that I needed to just go for it.

“The skills I got from the hospitality sector are ones that I’m still using today, though. I’m very personable, very friendly. I love talking to people and going to events like wedding showcases, because a lot of the time I’m trapped in my kitchen these days. The only times I get to meet customers is when I go out and give them their cakes or I meet them at those showcases, but I love that side of it and that’s what I’m really looking forward to with this coffee shop and bakery, because my kitchen there won’t be enclosed. It’s all going to be open plan, so the customers can see me working and have that interaction. In a way I’m getting back in to the hospitality sector!

“I’ll be taking on some staff by then as well, because I definitely need it. I’m at the stage now where I’d love for someone even to just do the dishes,” he jokes.

Once the washing and drying is seen to, however, Ruairi will certainly need all hands on deck in the year ahead, with bookings for 2024 already flying in. “I have 105 weddings booked for next year, a lot of those are in the summer. I have about a wedding a day coming up in August! I’m already taking bookings for 2025/2026 too, so I’m really delighted that demand has grown so much. I think, in a way, people are still making up for all that lost time where they couldn't celebrate their important occasions during the pandemic.” 

Despite how busy it all is, Ruairi admits he wouldn't have it any other way. For him, adding joy to people’s special occasions with his one-of-a-kind cakes is an unbeatable feeling.

“I get a lot of great feedback online, and I have over 80 five-star reviews at the moment from wedding couples. I’m really chuffed to have so many after only being in business for just over two years. I love getting those reviews and knowing that I was an important part of a couple’s big day, even in cases where I never actually got to meet the bride or groom in person! Sometimes they’re so busy on the day and I’m just in and out setting up the cake very quickly, but I’m always delighted to know they loved their cake in the end.” 

It’s not just wedding couples that are fans of Ruairi’s creations either. People turn to him for all kinds of celebration cakes — and they tend to keep coming back!

“It’s the repeat business that I find most gratifying,” Ruairi reflects. “There are people who’ve been coming to me for the last two years and for every single birthday in their family, they’d order a new cake from me. There are some families that have ordered 7 or 8 cakes from me over the years, and they keep coming back, so that’s been one of the standouts for me.

“I think it’s partly due to word of mouth and the great community here in Cork — if someone tells even one person about their cake and they’re raving about it, then that could lead another new customer towards Ruairi’s Kitchen. That’s how I’d get a lot of my business, through word of mouth around Cork and the lovely reviews from people.” 

In fact, it's exactly this kind of community support that has inspired Ruairi to give back and help a local charity this Christmas. He’s recently launched a special menu for the festive season, featuring mince pies, cupcakes and Christmas biscuit puddings — with up to 20% of the proceeds for some items going directly to Marymount University Hospice.

“I know a lot of people who sadly have had family members battling cancer. With the position my business is in currently, I felt that I could finally give back this year, so I wanted to do something for charity that would help others in the same boat. I spoke to Marymount and they were absolutely delighted for me to go ahead with this initiative and help them out, so I've registered the event with them officially. Orders are already coming in for Christmas week, which is great to see.

“It's definitely a cause that my customers care about, a lot of people have told me they’re delighted to give something to charity while they’re getting something tasty as well!” 

Even if there wasn’t the added bonus of donating to Marymount, buying baked goods for your loved ones can be a charitable act in itself — especially in households where one poor creature often takes it upon themselves to cook an extravagant five-course Christmas dinner AND be a star baker!

“I think people put an awful lot of pressure on themselves at Christmas, especially if they have guests or extended family visiting,” Ruairi says. “My own mother is a great cook and a fantastic baker as well, so I’d always help her out at Christmas and bring down the baked goods, to share some of the work. I think if people can just save the hassle and buy their Christmas pudding or their treats, they’re happy out! Not everyone can bake and not everybody has the time to do it. That’s my business, it’s what my market is, I’m there to help people who don’t have the time to bake but still want something delicious!

“My recipes are passed down from generations and generations on my Mom’s side, so they’re tried and tested, and I only use the very best ingredients. A lot of my suppliers are Cork-based. I get all my eggs from the English market, I get flours and butter from local producers. Once I open the café next year I will be sourcing cheese and so on from local producers too. It’s important to have that traceability, and a lot of Cork brands are so well-known, people recognise the names and trust them, so why wouldn’t I use them?” 

The proof of the pudding, as they say, is in the eating. To test out Ruairi’s selection for yourself, and provide much needed funds to Marymount University Hospice through your purchase, head to www.ruairiskitchen.ie.