WoW Bites: Cork's Anna hoping to bring luxury of restaurant dining into people's homes 

As the saying goes, we never forget how others make us feel. That’s why, when we go out to dine, good service makes the difference between just a meal out and a memorable experience.

This was a lesson learned early on by chef Anna Darling Hevers, who grew up in a house where dinner parties, a love of hosting, and her parents’ ease at welcoming people into their home with good food were the foundation for a life-long love of hospitality.

For the past two years, Anna has been a familiar face to anyone who has enjoyed dinner at Goldie, Cork’s pioneering whole catch fish restaurant on Oliver Plunkett Street, working alongside chef-patron Aishling Moore.

But now, Anna is getting ready to work her last service in the acclaimed restaurant, taking all she has learned forward into her new venture, Anna Darling Dining.

Cork-born and bred, Anna’s earliest memories were of adventurous family meals inspired by her grandfather’s interest in travel, with tastes of faraway places at home on the family dinner table.

“My grandparents were very influential,” says Anna. “My grandad travelled quite a lot, which was rare in those days, and that trickled down to my mom. I grew up eating international foods, and she cooked a lot of Italian food as well.

“Mom was a dietitian and always had an interest in food, particularly baking and cooking for friends and family. Dinner parties were quite common in our house. I have such fond memories of coming down the stairs after being sent to bed an hour before because I could smell the food!

“I loved a dish mom used to make - monkfish with a simple cream and pepper sauce. It was gorgeous!”

Cooking was one aspect, but the conviviality of the table was also part of Anna’s family tradition.

“We always set the table for dinner, every night. It was an experience of having dinner, the importance of sitting around the table, and having a conversation. Such good memories: I couldn’t ask for better.”

Hospitality had captured Anna’s heart and she remembers how, as kids, she and her cousin would set up a ‘fake restaurant’ inviting family members to come and dine. Anna played chef in the kitchen, and her cousin ran food to their guests waiting in the living room.

Torn between an interest in food and a love of hosting, after school, Anna left Cork to study Hospitality Management at Shannon College with plans to pursue a career in hospitality.

“[The course] covered different departments - food and beverage, kitchen, front of house, even accounts. It was a full cover of what you would do in a hotel. It was a great experience. I knew this was something I wanted to do, and it ticked all the boxes for me.”

As part of the course, Anna was sent on placement to The Grove in Hertfordshire, UK. Intended as a focus on just front-of-house service, her curiosity about kitchen work got the better of her.

“I loved how [the kitchen] looked and wanted to see what it was like because I hadn’t had any experience in kitchens by this point. It really sparked my interest in food generally. I was always excited about it,” says Anna. “I loved going out to eat and loved the banter in kitchens, too.”

The flame was lit, and from there Anna came back to Ireland, taking up another internship, this time at the then newly reopened Adare Manor, working in the pastry kitchen part-time for a year.

Gaining in confidence, Anna went on to challenge herself further by entering cooking competitions, creating, cooking and presenting dishes to a panel of judges in under 30 minutes. With success there, for her final year in college, Anna elected to focus on culinary arts.

“When I graduated from Shannon College, I got a scholarship for Leadership and Entrepreneurship from the competitions I did, my involvement in food and the college. I used it towards my experience in Le Cordon Bleu in London.”

Here, Anna undertook the culinary school’s most prestigious programme of study, the Grand Diplôme.

“It was amazing. A nine-month course going between pastry and cuisine with three days a week on each class. An average day could be six to nine hours with a two-hour lecture, then a two-hour class, maybe another demonstration, maybe an evening workshop with an expert in cheese or a local producer talking about their products. “It was classical French cuisine, and it covered everything to do with cooking.”

After completing her time at Le Cordon Bleu, Anna stayed in London for a year to gain more experience in kitchens, including at the world-famous Ottolenghi, in their bakery.

“I loved working at Ottolenghi,” says Anna. “It was inspiring working there; really positive, everyone was always in great form. It was just a really nice atmosphere to work in, but I knew I wouldn’t be living away from Ireland forever. I don’t know how anyone can really!

“I wanted to come back for Irish ingredients, producers, and getting back into the scene here.

“British produce was amazing, but I knew it didn’t have a tap on Irish produce.

“While at Le Cordon Bleu, I’d take any opportunity to tell people about Irish produce,” says Anna.

“One day we were making black pudding, and I was off on a tangent talking about black pudding in Ireland!”

Coming back to Ireland, Anna wasn’t sure whether she should work in Cork or elsewhere. Her family had dined in Goldie a few times, and her brother encouraged her to hand in her CV there.

“Working at Goldie has shaped me in many ways,” says Anna. “I better understand why we should cook the way that we do, and the importance of sourcing produce from people we know here in Cork because we have some of the best in the world.

“The way we cook in Goldie is a more sustainable approach. It’s so important, I’ve learned a lot from that, and I will be taking it forward in whatever I do next.”

For Anna, what is next is her newly launched business, Anna Darling Dining, offering private dining experiences with bespoke menus created for small to medium sized events.

It’s the culmination of all Anna’s experiences so far, and a perfect blend of her dual passions for cookery and hosting.

“It’s been in the pipeline for a long time,” says Anna. “I’ve always had an interest in doing this, it was just a matter of when.

“I love cooking for a group of people, whether it’s for two or 16 or 20. It’s a special thing to be a part of if you’re cooking for a celebration, a birthday or even just a gathering of friends.

“It’s about bringing the luxury of a restaurant straight into your home, and I enjoy getting to know the people I’m cooking for and crafting a menu to their own preferences.

“It’s also a way I can blend front of house and back of house together, which I still really enjoy. I’m really excited to see where it goes!”

While inviting a private chef into your home to cater dinners is not unusual in a place like London, it’s still a novelty here in Ireland, says Anna.

“It is a luxury to have someone come to your house and cook for you. In London, it was a popular thing to do - there were so many private chefs around - whereas it’s only getting going now in Ireland.

“There are quite a lot of tourists coming to stay in Airbnbs looking for people to do catering in their homes. It’s something I’ve always seen myself doing, right from the get-go. It was just a matter of getting there, getting experience in different places, and learn about produce in the way that I have.”

Already, Anna is learning her customers aren’t always looking for the typical home chef experience, and that with small groups there is plenty of room to be creative in crafting those all-important memorable moments.

“It’s very intimate. I did an event recently for a group of women who wanted to learn how the dishes were being made, so in between each course I did a demonstration. I loved it. That’s the direction I would like it to go, but at this stage I am open to pretty much anything!”

The bespoke nature of what Anna offers means she can tailor every menu to the needs, wants and vibes of the group, event, or celebration.

“I’ll get a gauge of what you’re looking for and what kind of style of food you like,” says Anna. “From that, I’ll write up the menu and then we can work together on it. Recently, I’ve had a few requests for hen party-style gathering, so for those I’ll be leaning into my Ottolenghi-style of food: sharing platters, picky bits, but just really good food, and putting great local producers on the menu to spark little conversations around the table as well.

“It’s all about providing that level of luxury to someone and give the experience of really good food and quality ingredients, but this is just the start of it,” says Anna. “I know this is what I want to do for the foreseeable. I don’t see myself doing anything else but this, and I think this is what I’ll get ultimate satisfaction from.”

Anna’s advice for others hoping to carve a path out for themselves in food and hospitality?

“Throw yourself in the deep end,” says Anna. “Go into the kitchen and see if you enjoy it because if you have an interest in it, you probably will enjoy it. You’ll meet some great mentors along the way and get experiences that you won’t get in any other job. Just go out, do it, and give it your best shot!”

Happily, Anna’s order book is already starting to fill up for a busy summer ahead - a big confidence boost for any new business.

“I’m just excited, genuinely. Not nervous as such - yet, but I feel ready. It’s been a long time coming!”

• See www.annadarlingdining.com