Tag Archives: The Apprentice Chef

Business/Property, DINING OUT, Entertainment

There Were Kerry Winners At The ‘Food Oscars’ In Dublin Last Night

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Apprentice Chef founders, Mark Doe and Mark Murphy, celebrate receiving the All Ireland Local Food Hero award at the Irish Restaurant Awards with members of the Apprentice Chef team. John Murray (judge), Mark Doe (founder), Susie Cox (nutritional therapist), Louise Brosnan (mentor), Mark Murphy (founder)

THERE were Kerry winners at at the Irish Restaurant Awards which were held in Dublin last night.

The Apprentice Chef Programme, founded by IT Tralee lecturer Mark Murphy and Firies-based chef Mark Doe, was awarded the All Ireland Local Food Hero title, the Park Hotel Kenmare won Best Hotel and Guesthouse in Ireland while Munster awards went to Murphy’s Bar in Brandon and Maison Gourmet in Kenmare.

Known in the industry as the #FoodOscars, Mark Doe from Just Cooking Cookery School in Firies and IT Tralee Culinary Arts lecturer, Mark Murphy, who founded the programme together, attended a gala ball in Dublin on Monday night with over 1000 guests and were overjoyed to receive the accolade.

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The duo started the initiative in 2012 in order to encourage young people to consider a career in the culinary industry and promote healthy eating.

Just last Thursday, the 2017/2018 final was held in IT Tralee and students travelled from as far as Dublin to compete, but it was Killarney student Natalia Leane who was named the Supreme Apprentice Chef.

Other Kerry winners on the night were the Park Hotel Kenmare winning Best Hotel & Guesthouse Restaurant in Ireland; Maison Gourmet in Kenmare winning Best Café (Munster) and Murphy’s Bar Brandon winning Best Pub (Munster).

News

Tralee Student Among Prizes At Apprentice Chef Final

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Overall winner Natalia Leane, from Killarney Community College withJack Granville, McEgan College, Macroom (third) and Isabelle Lynch from Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, (second) in the sixth Apprentice Chef Programme final sponsored by Flogas Ireland and Fáilte Ireland at the Institute of Technology Tralee on Thursday 10 May 2018. Picture: Sean Curtin True Media.

SECONDARY school students from across Munster and Leinster travelled to the IT Tralee’s state of the art kitchens in the 2017/2018 Flogas Ireland and Fáilte Ireland supported Apprentice Chef Finale on Thursday.

A dish of pan seared Skeaghanore duck with a sweet orange glaze that earned Natalia Leane from Killarney Community College, the 2017/2018 Supreme Apprentice Chef title, while a Mercy Mounthawk student took second place thanks to a dark chocolate mousse with raspberry sorbet, honeycomb shards, shortbread crumb and filled profiteroles by 16 year old Isabelle Lynch.

Jack Granville from McEgan College, Macroom, Co Cork came third with a roast rack of Shandangan lamb, red wine jus, tian of courgettes, lamb shoulder croquettes with hasselback potatoes.

Isabelle Lynch from Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee, with her award winning dark chocolate mousse with raspberry sorbet, honeycomb shards, shortbread crumb and filled profiteroles. Picture: Sean Curtin True Media.
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As the winner, transition year student Natalia, who celebrates her 17th birthday tomorrow Friday 11 May, walked away with a prize package that included a set of professional knives from McDonnells, €1000 equipment for her school, a year’s subscription to Easyfood Magazine and a professional food styling session at Easyfood Magazine HQ this summer.

In addition, the specially commissioned Supreme Apprentice Chef perpetual trophy was presented to the Supreme Apprentice Chef.

This is the sixth year of the Apprentice Chef Programme which recently featured on RTE”s Nationwide.

It was established by Mark Doe of Just Cooking Cookery School and Mark Murphy, lecturer in Culinary Arts at IT Tralee.

The duo received the 2018 Munster Local Food Hero accolade at the Irish Restaurant Awards.  Co-founder Mark Doe said, “Since the programme’s inception in 2012, we have delivered a series of demonstrations and workshops to over 4000 students.  We are committed to encouraging young people to enter the industry to help alleviate the chef shortage in Ireland whilst simultaneously promoting the importance of healthy eating to enhance physical and mental wellbeing.  Year on year our geographic reach has increased and to date schools in Munster and Leinster have taken part.  We will continue to build on the programme’s success to take it to national level so that students from all corners of Ireland can experience the positive side of working in food and hospitality.”

Earlier this year each finalist was assigned an experienced chef to provide mentoring to help them design and create a unique signature dish using locally sourced ingredients.

For more information on the Apprentice Chef visit www.theapprenticechef.ie and www.facebook.com/theapprenticechef

DINING OUT, News

‘Nationwide’ To Feature Apprentice Chef Programme As Tralee Students Look Forward To Final

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Winner of The Apprentice Chef 2017 Padriac Randles from Pobalscoil Inbhear Scéine, Kenmare, with Mark Murphy last year. Photo: Domnick Walsh

THE Apprentice Chef Programme will be featured on RTE’s Nationwide show next Friday ahead of the 2017/2018 final cook off at IT Tralee.

On Thursday, May 10, 27 students from secondary schools across Munster and Leinster, including three students from Tralee and three more from other Kerry schools, will don their chef whites and spend the morning in the college’s professional kitchens to create their individually designed dishes.

Isabelle Lynch and Harry Emerson from Mercy Mounthawk and Gail Adado from Transform Youth Reach, Tralee, will join Karen O’Donoghue and Natalia Leane of Killarney  Community College and Eimear O’Donoghue of Mean Scoil Nua, Castlegregory in the final.

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Since October 2017 over 800 students have enjoyed a series of demonstrations and workshops as part of the programme which aims to promote the importance of healthy eating to enhance physical and mental wellbeing, encourage young people to consider a culinary career to help combat the current chef crisis in Ireland and contribute to the development of self confidence and self esteem.

The finalists have been mentored by accomplished chefs Mark Doe (Just Cooking Cookery School, Firies), Louise Brosnan (Solas Tapas & Wine Bar, Dingle), Mark Staples (Hayfield Manor Hotel, Cork) and Bart O Sullivan (Sea Lodge Hotel, Waterville), and supported by nutritional therapist, Susie Cox.  Each dish created by the students must have a “Good Mood Food” influence.

This is the sixth year of the Apprentice Chef Programme which was established by Mark Doe of Just Cooking Cookery School in Firies, Co Kerry and Mark Murphy, lecturer in Culinary Arts at IT Tralee.  The duo received the Munster Local Food Hero accolade at this year’s Irish Restaurant Awards.

Co-founder Mark Doe said, “Almost 4000 secondary school students have attended workshops and cookery demonstrations since we started the Apprentice Chef in 2012 with students from Kerry and Limerick.  In the second year schools from Co Cork participated and last year we were delighted to collaborate with Waterford IT and students from Tipperary, Wexford and Waterford signed up.  The geographic reach has extended this year and for the first time we welcomed students from Laois, Wicklow and Dublin.”

All finalists receive a specially commissioned Ambri chopping board, a Just Cooking cookbook and their Apprentice Chef monogrammed chef uniform.  The Supreme Apprentice Chef will also enjoy a styling session at Easyfood Magazine HQ this summer and receive the unique perpetual trophy.

For more information on the Apprentice Chef visit www.theapprenticechef.ieand www.facebook.com/theapprenticechef