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In the run-up to St Patrick's Day, we proudly present our 10th annual Murphia List, in association with Bord Bia, showcasing the Irish talent contributing to the creativity of London's food and drink scene.
Chefs
NEW - Luke Ahearne
Head Chef - Lita
Hailing from Clonmel, chef Luke Ahearne got his first taste for restaurant work interning at Neven Maguire’s MacNean’s House & Restaurant in Cavan. After running his family’s cafe followed by time at Garrett Byrne’s Campagne in Kilkenny, Luke then set his sights on London. He moved to The Clove Club which was then ranked 26th best restaurant in the world before transferring to its sister restaurant, Luca. At just 29 years old he became Head Chef at Corrigan’s Mayfair. Today, Luke is responsible for the concept at brand new restaurant Lita which is about to open in Marylebone.
Follow Luke on Instagram at @lukeahearne
NEW - Kate O'Sullivan
Head chef- Baudry Greene
Kate grew up in Greystones in County Wicklow. As a student at the Dublin Institute of Technology, she left the course early after getting a job working in the pastry section of the luxury Powerscourt Hotel. Pastry skills proved to be her ticket to London where she moved through the kitchens of 34, Sexy Fish and The Ivy while working for Caprice Holdings. Following a time as Head Pastry Chef at the well-respected wine bar and restaurant Noble Rot she’s now heading up the kitchen at new Covent Garden opening Baudry Greene.
Follow Kate on Instagram at @kateos2
NEW - Paddy Maher
Head chef- Pearly Queen
Chef Paddy hails from County Meath and started in hospitality young - taking his first kitchen job at just 16. In the intervening years, he’s worked in a series of well-known Dublin restaurants - most recently Orwell Row and Row Wines where he was head chef. But it was a stint back in 2021 as the head chef of super-cool Greek hangout The Peligoni Club where he met the chef who offered him his current role. Tom Brown of Michelin-starred Cornerstone in Hackney was at Peligoni for a guest chef series and the pair got on like a house on fire. When Tom decided to open his next restaurant, Pearly Queen, it was Paddy he called on to be Head Chef.
Follow Paddy on Instagram at @maher_
Fionnan Flood
Head Chef- The Chelsea Pig
Now heading up this Chelsea gastropub’s kitchens, Fionnan credits his mother and grandmother back in Graystones, County Wicklow for sparking his interest in cooking. Since moving to London in 2007 he learned his craft working for Gordon Ramsay at The Maze Grill and Richard Corrigan at Lindsay House before heading up kitchens at the swanky Arts Club and Riding House Cafe. He has a real passion for food history, which is channelled through his menu at The Chelsea Pig, where classic dishes are reimagined with a modern twist.
Conor Gadd
Chef Owner- Trullo
At sixteen, Belfast-born Conor found himself working under the inspirational Michelin-starred chef Paul Rankin at the city’s Roscoff restaurant. Later, following university, he went to Ballymaloe where he was further inspired by their local produce-driven, ingredient-led cooking. From here it was off to London, working at the newly-opened Terroirs, then moving to Trullo in Islington when he wanted to learn the business side of restaurants too. He’s been head chef here now for over 10 years and as Chef Owner runs every aspect of the business.
Follow Trullo on Instagram at @trullo_restaurant
Diarmuid Goodwin
Head Chef- Sager + Wilde
Diarmuid grew up just outside Belfast but it was the time he spent on his grandparents’ dairy farm in County Tyrone that really kickstarted his love affair with cooking and produce. After joining the hospitality business at the tender age of 15 working at Nick’s Warehouse in Belfast, he moved to London to apprentice under Angela Hartnett, working for her for seven years before time spent with Bruno Loubet and then at Trullo in Islington. He’s now running Sager + Wilde’s Bethnal Green restaurant serving up food inspired by traditional Italian and Basque regional cooking.
Follow Diarmuid on Instagram at @diarmuidg94
Niamh Larkin
Executive Pastry Chef - 45 Park Lane
Niamh's first food memories were drinking unpasteurised milk straight from the cows on the dairy farm she grew up on in Limerick, and eating her grandmother's homemade soda bread. Her first job in hospitality was at the Dunraven Arms in Adare where her weekend duties included covering pastry duty, a job which further inspired her love of baking. She's now heading up the pastry team at the Dorchester Group's 45 Park Lane hotel.
Follow Niamh on Instagram at @niamhlarkin_pastry
Max Rocha
Chef Owner of Café Cecilia
Max is the chef and owner of Café Cecilia, an East London neighbourhood restaurant serving simple and European-inspired food. Having previously worked at restaurants such as The River Café and St John Bread & Wine, Max’s cooking takes inspiration from what’s in season around him. Dubliner Max’s greatest influence is the cooking of his mum Odette and the food he grew up with in Ireland. Cafe Cecilia has been a runaway success since opening, garnering glowing reviews from the critics.
Follow Max on Instagram at @cafececilialondon.
Kenneth Culhane
Head Chef: The Dysart
Originally from Lisselton, North Kerry, Roux scholar Kenneth has a wealth of experience behind him having worked for Patrick Guilbaud in Ireland, Tetsuya Wakuda in Sydney and Jean Georges Vongerichten in New York. He’s now at the bucolic restaurant The Dysart in Richmond, which has held its Michelin star for five years. Last year, Kenneth received the top honour of being elected as an Academician of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts and this year you’ll see him on Michel Roux’s TV series Roux down the River on the Food Network.
Follow him on Twitter @kennethculhane
Nick Fitzgerald
Chef/Patron: Tacos Padre
Originally from Dublin, Nick is also half Spanish - his mother hails from Asturias in the north of Spain. A longtime fan of all things Mexican, his restaurant career eventually took him to Mexico City where he joined the team at Pujol, one of Mexico’s most celebrated restaurants. Now he has his own taqueria in London's Borough Market. Tacos Padre is a very modern taqueria with a focus on traditional cooking techniques, exploring Mexico through its different regional cuisines. They change the menu on a regular basis and take in the seasonal produce directly from Borough Market.
Follow Nick on Instagram @nicholaspfg
Fiona Hannon
Head Chef: Bentley's
Born in Bray, Country Wicklow, Fiona came early to the hospitality trade, starting as a kitchen porter in a local hotel during the school holidays when she was 15. She moved to London to work for Richard Corrigan where she took the position as demi-head de partie at Corrigan's much-lauded Lindsay House. From there she helped open Corrigan's Mayfair and is now at Bentley's in London where she is head chef. Referring to her long-term working relationship with Corrigan as a 'life sentence', she says he gives her "the freedom and space to get on with my job."
Follow Bentley's on Instagram @bentleysoysterbar
Anna Haugh
Chef Patron: Myrtle Restaurant
Anna Haugh began her career in her home town of Dublin at L'Ecrivain with Derry Clarke. She then moved to London where she worked for Shane Osborne at Pied a Terre, Philip Howard at The Square, and then for the Gordon Ramsay Group. In May 2019, she opened Myrtle Restaurant in Chelsea. Anna takes inspiration from old Irish recipes, culture and stories to create a modern Irish cuisine that still has the heartbeat of home. In Myrtle Restaurant there is a large focus on great Irish produce, music and art. She’s currently working on opening her second venture this year and her first cookbook, Cooking with Anna, is out in May.
Follow Anna on Instagram @haughser
Colin Kelly
Head Chef: The Twenty Two
Hailing from Tullamore, Colin began his career at Dublin's L'Ecrivain before deciding to move to London 'for one year'. That was 21 years ago. In that time, Kelly spent eight years with Anthony Demetre, where he became Head Chef at Wild Honey. Then, alongside Tom Slegg and Alan Christie, he opened the highly-rated Picture restaurant on Great Portland Street and Picture Marylebone followed by a stint as Executive Chef at the Corrigan Collection. Colin is now Head Chef of Mayfair hotel, restaurant and members' club The Twenty Two where he's teamed up once again with Alan Christie to run the kitchen.
Follow the Twenty Two on Instagram @the22.london
Marguerite Keogh
Head Chef: The Five Fields
County Clare born and bred Marguerite Keogh apprenticed at Dromoland Castle hotel before heading across the water to London. For five years she worked alongside Marcus Wareing - first at Petrus and then at Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley. She then launched The Five Fields in Chelsea with Taylor Bonnyman and quickly gained a Michelin star.
Follow Marguerite on Instagram @margueritekeogh
Dave McCarthy
Head Chef: Scott's
From Midleton, County Cork, Dave caught the restaurant bug working in a family-run restaurant and moved to London when he was 22 to work at The Ivy. He stayed there for two years before moving to Harvey Nichols to work for Henry Harris as Chef de Partie. From here he moved to J Sheekey under Tim Hughes where he worked for nine years. In 2006 he was in the team that helped to relaunch Scott's and has been Head Chef here since 2009.
Follow Dave on Instagram @maccer73.
Patrick Powell
Head chef: Allegra and Midland Grand Dining Room
Originally from Killala, Co. Mayo, Patrick's career spans both sides of the Irish Sea and started under the tutorship of acclaimed Irish chef Derry Clarke at L'Ecrivain in Dublin. When Patrick moved to London he worked firstly with Anthony Demetre at Wild Honey, then as Head Chef of Chiltern Firehouse, under the creative direction of Nuno Mendes. In 2019 and with the support of developer and hotelier Harry Handelsman, Patrick opened his first restaurant, the acclaimed Allegra in Stratford. The pair now have a second restaurant together, the critically rated Midland Grand Dining Room at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel.
Follow him on Instagram @ppowellchef
Clare Smyth MBE
Chef Patron: Core by Clare Smyth
Born on a farm in Country Antrim, Clare Smyth MBE moved to England at the age of 16, building a career that included working at Alain Ducasse’s Le Louis XV in Monaco and with Gordon Ramsay for 13 years. Clare is the first and only British female chef to hold three Michelin stars and is only the second chef in history to hold three hats at the same time for her restaurant Oncore by Clare Smyth in Sydney, Australia. Her first restaurant, Core opened in August 2017 in Notting Hill. The restaurant is an elegant, fine dining restaurant which, most recently, opened a standalone bar Whiskey & Seaweed with a focus on whiskey from the UK and Ireland.
Follow her on Instagram @chefclaresmyth
Restaurateurs
NEW - Eoghan Shankey
Co-owner- Shankeys
Hospitality is in Eoghan’s blood, having been raised in Dublin pubs by his bartending father Fintan. A move to London saw him honing his skills at the iconic cocktail bar Milk & Honey before founding Síbín, a hospitality and cocktail consultancy. He’s now co-owner (with head chef Sacha Henry) of Shankeys, an Irish/Indian restaurant serving Irish booze and Indian food in a converted bookies in Hackney. The restaurant opened in 2022 and aims to celebrate Irish and Indian culture through food, drink, and warm hospitality.
NEW - Patrick Frawley
Founder - 65a
Limerick-born entrepreneur Patrick Frawley has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry having founded both the Cornstore restaurant group and the East London Pub Co. which numbered The Ten Bells among its four pubs. Most recently, Patrick has just celebrated the opening of his new restaurant in the heart of Spitalfields. 65a is a French bistro on the corner of Old Spitalfields Market serving up everything from French onion soup to Carlingford oysters. He’s also served as Mid-West Chairman for the Restaurants Association of Ireland.
Follow Patrick on Instagram at @patrick_london99
NEW - Jay Bradley and Ian Duigan
Co-founders- BÓHA London
As CEO of The Craft Irish Whiskey Co, it’s fair to say that Dublin-born entrepreneur Jay Bradley knows his stuff when it comes to reinventing luxury spirits. Fellow Dubliner and Chief Commercial Officer and Partner for the Craft Distilling Group has a similar passion for the spirit industry - their inaugural release The Devil's Keep, was named the world’s Best Irish Single Malt at the World Whiskies Awards. Last year the pair took this joint passion a step further opening BÓHA London, a restaurant and cocktail bar serving a unique style of elevated Irish and British cuisine, in the heart of Chelsea.
Richard Corrigan
Chef Patron of the Corrigan Collection
Dublin-born, but raised in Meath, Corrigan is one of the leading forces among the Irish in London’s hospitality industry. He runs Bentley's in Piccadilly, the eponymous Corrigan's in Mayfair and Daffodil Mulligan in Old Street, which saw him partner with John Nugent and Tony Gibney. Most recently he opened The Portrait Restaurant on the top of the National Portrait Gallery which enjoys killer views over London. All of Corrigan’s restaurants are supplied with vegetables, fruit and salads from his Irish estate, Virginia Park Lodge in Cavan.
Follow him on Instagram @chefcorrigan
John Devitt
Owner: Koya
Dubliner Devitt opened Koya in 2010 after being inspired by a Parisian restaurant devoted to the udon noodle, having cunningly spotted that London was undersupplied in decent noodle joints. Koya Bar followed pretty smartly after and both developed an almost fanatical fan base. Koya has evolved over the years joined by Koya City at the Bloomberg Arcade and Koya KO in Broadway Market in East London, with a fully online menu for takeaway and delivery. More to come soon...
Robin and Sarah Gill
Restaurateurs and chef: Sorella, Darby's and Bottle & Rye
Both from Dublin, this powerhouse restaurant couple are now responsible for a boutique group of restaurants across London. Robin earned his stripes working at La Stampa in Dublin, The Oak Room with Marco Pierre White and under Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons. Their first restaurant, The Dairy in Clapham, was a massive success and led to the opening of Sorella in the same area. In 2019 they opened Darby's in Embassy Gardens right beside the American Embassy along with a bakery and grill in Brentford, Rye by the Water. The pair scored again with the opening of their Parisian-inspired wine bar Bottle + Rye in Brixton and have recently been working with Ruben of Ruben’s Rubens.
Follow Robin on Instagram @robin.gill.food and Sarah on @sarahmurfgill
Brian Hannon
Restaurateur: Super 8 Restaurants
Dubliner Brian Hannon came to London as a graduate working for Bass where he ended up running over 400 sites. He then spent two years as Selfridges Food & Restaurants director before teaming up with Ben Chapman to open Smoking Goat. They now co-own the Super 8 Restaurants group. Super 8’s partnership with Tomos Parry operates Brat in Shoreditch and Brat x Climpsons Arches in London Fields. They have also recently opened Mountain in Beak St. Soho to huge critical acclaim. A future opening with Kiln’s Meedu Saad already has Londoners excited. Hannon is also a founding board member of the Soho Business Alliance, supporting predominately independent hospitality and retail operators throughout Soho.
Follow Smoking Goat on Instagram @smokinggoatbar
David Moore
Founding Director: Pied à Terre
Moore was born in Monaghan and got his first taste of the trade working in his mother's hotel. Having graduated from Blackpool catering college, he landed a job front of house at Le Manoir Aux Quat’ Saisons, where he honed his skills. Moore opened Pied à Terre in 1991 at the age of 26 achieving a Michelin star in its first year; a 31-year run with Michelin puts Pied à Terre as London’s longest-standing Michelin-starred restaurant. The restaurant comprises three private dining rooms, including a first-floor Chef's Table and Cookery School and has garnered plaudits for its particularly inventive plant-based offering.
Follow him on Twitter @davidpied
John Nugent
CEO: Green & Fortune
In his early career, John was MD of Corrigan Restaurants and CEO of the London caterer, Searcy’s. In 2008 he launched Green & Fortune with the opening of Kings Place in Kings Cross. There he set up Rotunda Bar and Restaurant as well as Kings Place Events. Across town at Sea Containers, his company operates restaurant, bar, event and roof terrace spaces. His company is also behind the hospitality operation at Central Hall Westminster and the newly opened Rose Court Events space with spectacular views over the river on the South Bank. He’s also a partner with Richard Corrigan and Tony Gibney in Daffodil Mulligan and its downstairs bar, Gibney's London. Next up? He’s an investor in the soon-to-open The Dally, a new member’s club in Islington.
Follow John on Twitter @_JohnNugent
Mark and Alan Wogan
Directors: Homeslice
The sons of the late, legendary Sir Terry, Alan and Mark Wogan’s pizza business Homeslice, has gone from strength to strength since it moved from street food status in 2013. The siblings have also founded plant-based food company Symplicity Foods in partnership with chef Neil Rankin, supplying restaurant groups including Dishoom, Bleecker Burger, Gordon Ramsay, Tom Kerridge, The Ivy Group and Soho House among others. Symplicity will be going into retail later this year. Mark has recently launched a successful podcast, Spooning with Mark Wogan, where guests try the food they love and the food they think they hate whilst blindfolded.
Follow Mark Wogan on Instagram @markwogan13.
Pubs and bars
NEW - Ross Culligan
Bar Manager - The Devonshire Soho
Born in Palmerstown, Ross has spent his entire working life in the bars and pubs in Dublin including time in such classic Dublin pubs as Kehoes and The Stag’s Head. Working in the former was where he first met pub landlord Oisin Rogers who was in Dublin on a research trip for his upcoming pub The Devonshire Over a conversation about the plan it became apparent to Ross that he wanted to be in at the start of the project. He declares it a “huge honour and pleasure to have been behind The Devonshire from very early on and see it progress into the beautiful community it has become.”
Follow Ross on Instagram at @rossculligan
NEW - Nicola McDonagh
General Manager - The George
Originally from Galway in the west of Ireland, Nicola spent years working in pubs and restaurants both there and in Australia, before moving to London and joining the pre-opening team at the critically well-received Bibi restaurant in Mayfair. From there, she joined the opening team of The George in Fitzrovia, where she has recently been promoted to General Manager and has been key to establishing The George as one of Central London’s best and most hospitable public houses.
Follow Nicola on Instagram at @nil_fhios_agam
Oisin Rogers
Co-owner and pub landlord - The Devonshire.
Sligo-born Oisín’s life in London can be traced through the hugely popular pubs he’s run from The Ship in Wandsworth to his tenure at the Guinea Grill, where he turned the venue from a traditional mainstay to a cult destination. He also helped set up the Audley - a pub favoured by His Majesty The King. Of course now everyone knows him as the landlord of London’s most talked-about pub The Devonshire which has been an unqualified hit from Day 1 of opening and has had everyone from Jamie Dornan and Lewis Capaldi to Nigella Lawson through its doors.
Photo: Mike Taylor
Follow Osh on Instagram @mcmoop
Colin Maher
Group Bar Manager - JKS Pubs
Dublin-born Colin first got into pub work while studying at UCD, including time spent at the Guinness Storehouse. After college, he went over to NYC working in various sports bars before moving to London where he joined The Rushmore Group, bartending in Redhook and Giant Robot. Next up was eight years as Head Bartender at Hawksmoor followed by his current job which saw him open The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea as assistant bar manager for JKS Restaurants, then the George Public House and Upstairs at The George as Bar Manager. He now looks over all beverage aspects of both pubs as Group Bar Manager.
Gearoid Devaney
Founder: The Black Book
Gearoid left his hometown of Belfast nearly 30 years ago to immerse himself in the world of wine - working in the vineyards of Bordeaux and as a sommelier in Michelin-starred restaurants in London and Paris. Now director of Burgundy importer Flint Wines, Gearoid is also co-owner of Cabotte, a Burgundy-centric restaurant in the City and The Black Book, a wine bar in Soho. One of only 220 Master Sommeliers, and the only Irish one, Gearoid also sits on the Board for the Court of Master Sommeliers, setting exam papers, teaching and guiding the next generation of sommeliers through the programme.
Follow Gearoid on Instagram @gearoiddevaney
Cormac Gibney
Bar Manager: Gibney's London
Born and bred in Dublin, Cormac was literally born into the hospitality industry, specifically above his family pub, Gibney’s of Malahide. Cormac spent his teenage years helping his family in the pub before moving to New York in 2016. Here Cormac expanded his drinks knowledge and mixology skills while working at Pier A Harbour House and CASK. In 2018, he moved back to Ireland where he was appointed Assistant Bar Manager of Gibney’s. In November 2019, Cormac moved to London to become Bar Manager of Daffodil Mulligan, and now Gibney’s London. The launch of Gibney’s London marked the family's first international outpost since its opening in 1937.
Follow Gibney's London on Instagram @gibneys.london
Aaron Wall
Owner: Homeboy
Dubliner Aaron is owner of Homeboy Bar in London and the creator of the neologism Modern Irish Hospitality, which now seems to be growing a life of its own. Homeboy have gone from strength to strength since opening in 2018 having been nominated for Best New International Cocktail Bar and Top 10 Best International Cocktail Bar Europe. They also say - fighting talk this - that they pour the best pint of Guinness in London.
Follow Aaron on Instagram @themightyirishmanawall.
Ciarán Smith
Owner- The Bottle Cocktail Shop & Bar
Dublin-born but Wexford-raised Ciarán Smith is behind The Bottle Cocktail Shop & Bar which opened in Islington in 2021. It offers a unique cocktail bar experience with an annual rotating menu of innovative drinks. Smith, who is a Top 50 Cocktail Bars UK award-winner, has brought together a team of skilled bartenders to craft cocktails which you can either enjoy in their cosy bar or 'bring the bar home' with a range of eleven bottled cocktails.
Conor Daly
Ops Manager: JKS Pubs
Greystones-born Conor moved to London after studying at Trinity College, Dublin. Having worked in hospitality throughout school and college the decision to move to London came after a meal at Robin Gill's The Dairy in Clapham ended up with a job offer to work at the highly rated restaurant. Conor’s now part of top London restaurant group JKS for whom has opened The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea, and The George Public House in Fitzrovia. Right now, his days are spent between Chelsea and Fitzrovia, managing operations across both JKS Pubs.
Follow Conor on Instagram @conor_daly_49
Cafes and bakeries
NEW - Emma Moran, Henry Spellmen and Niall Morrissey
Co-founders- Emerald Eats
Three homesick expats are behind the street food sensation that is Emerald Eats. Emma, Henry and Niall found themselves in a pub wishing that somewhere in London sold great chicken fillet rolls or spice bags. That was the lightbulb moment that saw the trio deciding to fill that gap in the market. The result is an instant hit that is all over London's food social media with permanent lengthy queues at their two London market stalls.
Follow Emerald Eats on Instagram at @emerald_eats_
Ciara O'Shea and Ken Nally
Owners: F. Mondays
Ken is from Wicklow where he grew up on his dad's trout farm in Annamoe. Born in Tipperary to a family of butchers (her brother Darragh is also on this list), Ciara is a makeup artist by trade and uses her world travels as inspirational for the grocery and coffee store that she and husband Ken opened in Brixton nearly a decade ago. F Mondays has a stellar reputation in Brixton for being a great spot to sit and have a coffee with friends or buy something special to have at home. Most recently, they’ve opened a second site on Brixton’s Coldharbour Lane.
Follow them on Instagram @fmondayscoffee
James Hennebry
Co-founder Rosslyn Coffee
Rosslyn is a collection of three independent, specialty coffee bars in London’s Square Mile. All three award winning sites are now amongst the busiest in the world and Rosslyn will be adding more to their portfolio this year. Kilkenny-born James began his career in the music industry with Live Nation before swapping his late nights for early mornings. Having honed his coffee skills in Melbourne, James relocated to London to work with Caravan Coffee Roasters. In 2018, alongside his business partner Mat Russell, James launched Rosslyn in the City of London.
Follow James on Instagram at @rosslyncoffee.
Dee Rettali
Owner - Fortitude Bakehouse
Artisan baker Dee was born in North Cork but has lived and worked in London since the late Eighties, developing award-winning businesses like Patisserie Organic and the Fernandez & Wells group. In 2018 she opened her own bakery, Fortitude Bakehouse, a craft bakery in Bloomsbury where her groundbreaking techniques have recently seen the bakery become a huge viral hit amongst Londoners. Dee published her first baking book Baking with Fortitude in 2021 which won the prestigious André Simon award and is working towards opening a flagship bakery in central London.
Follow Dee on Instagram @fortitudebakehouse.
Front of House
NEW - Sean Devoren
Director of Butlers- The Dorchester
With more than 40 years of experience under his belt, Limerick man Sean has worked at almost all of London’s grande dame hotels. The first was Claridge’s where he joined fresh from Rockwell Catering College in Tipperary. He later made a name for himself at The Savoy where he played a pivotal role in the television documentary of the same name. He’s now at The Dorchester where his job sees him taking responsibility for the hotel’s butler department who are the first port of call for the hotel’s demanding guests.
NEW - Sean McDermott
Head Doorman- Scott’s
It’s a long way from Cappawhite in Tipperary to being the person holding the door open for London’s celebrities but doorman Sean has seen it all in his years at the frontline of London’s restaurant industry. Back in the Ivy’s heyday in the Nineties, Sean was the man running the gauntlet of paparazzi. From there he moved to The Wolseley under Corbin & King and from 2008 has been the first person you see when you arrive at Scott’s in Mayfair. Eagerly anticipating the arrival of Scott’s in Dublin next year, he’s the elder statesman of Caprice Holdings.
NEW - Niall Harte
General Manager- Lyle’s
Sligo-born Niall grew up with hospitality in his blood - both sides of his family were in the business and his first job was as a Kitchen Porter in his aunt's restaurant. Having moved to London to study, he supplemented his student loan working at bars across the city and three years later made that his business. Senior positions followed at The Camberwell Arms & Leroy before taking over as General Manager at Lyle’s in Shoreditch. The restaurant has a Michelin Star and has dipped in and out of the World’s Top 50 List. Niall has recently accepted a new position, which will take him to New York City this summer, to lead the team at Estela.
Follow Niall on Instagram at @niallharte
Michael Lynch
Head Butler- Claridge’s
Michael hails from Rathcannon, outside the village of Athlacca in Limerick. He studied at the Rockwell Hotel and Catering School in County Tipperary and first joined Claridge’s hotel in 1976. Homesick for Ireland, he left after three months but realising that he missed the hotel (and a certain North London football club), he returned to London the following year and has been part of the Claridge’s world ever since. For Michael, “Claridge’s is a place where dreams come true. It is more than a job for me. It is a lovely place to work" and he is known for his attention to detail. A firm favourite with guests and staff alike, Michael’s fame spread when he featured in the original ‘Inside Claridge’s’ BBC documentary which aired in 2012, and the more recent ‘The Mayfair Hotel Megabuild’ that was shown earlier this year.
Follow Claridge's on Instagram at @claridgeshotel
Olivia McGowan
Assistant General Manager - Niju
Born in Enniscrone in Sligo, the daughter of one of the town’s two butchers, Olivia and her siblings were all roped in to help with the local golf club dos at the weekends. So it’s perhaps no surprise they all became involved in hospitality. While studying in Dublin Olivia caught the bug for fine dining while working part-time in Cooke’s Café and then Avoca Café. Her first job in London was at the Anglesea Arms, and then she ended up at Portland before moving on to open Clipstone. After a stint at Scott’s as a Maitre D, she found she missed being on the restaurant floor and moved to become GM of Scully. Now she’s part of the launch team for The Creative Restaurant group’s new opening Niju.
Follow Olivia on Instagram at @oliviagrew
Richie Corrigan
Managing Director: The Corrigan Collection
From an early age, Richie Corrigan has had hospitality in his blood - working at father Richard Corrigan's restaurants during his school holidays, doing everything from pot-washing at Lindsay House to being a waiter at Bentley’s. Following a stint as Assistant GM at Corrigan’s Mayfair overseeing the launch of Dickie's Bar, he moved to Hong Kong where he worked as Restaurant Manager of Michelin-starred Belon. He’s now across the whole Corrigan Collection including Corrigan’s Mayfair and new opening The Portrait Restaurant in London along with Virginia Park Lodge in Ireland
Follow Richie on Instagram @richiecoggs
Fergal Lee
Head of Operations: The Wolseley
Fergal first came to London in 1996 after graduating from the Galway Hotel School in Ireland. He worked for both Forte Hotels and O'Neill's Bars for several years before heading to top seafood restaurant J. Sheekey in 2001 and then moving to The Wolseley's opening team. He opened The Delaunay as Assistant General Manager and was appointed General Manager there before returning to Piccadilly and The Wolseley in the role of General Manager. Most recently he headed up the opening team of The Wolseley City.
Shane McHugh
Group Wine Buyer - Goodman Restaurant Holdings Ltd
Mayo born and Roscommon raised, Shane arrived in London in 2014 after years working in hotels in Ireland, the UK and USA. He started out at Vinoteca Marylebone, followed by a Michelin star led odyssey which included working for Jason Atherton, Gordon Ramsay and Adam Handling. Having joined just to "help out", Shane went from helping out in July 2019 to becoming Group Wine Buyer for Goodman's holding company, overseeing buying and wine operations for the three Goodman steakhouses as well as Beast.
Follow Shane on Instagram @corkageandcraic.
Joe Warwick
‘Sage’ Freelance FOH
Joe, who hails from County Down, has worked as a restaurant critic, magazine editor and reporter for the BBC Radio 4 Food Programme. He also responsible for spawning The World’s 50 Best franchise following a 2001 article in Restaurant magazine. Most recently after nearly 20 years out of the game, he returned to working FOH and, as Restaurant Manager at Sola in Soho was part of team that gained its Michelin Star. After a spell helping launch Bouchon Racine in Farringdon, he spent a year as Head of Hospitality for Cubitt House. Freelance again, he’s currently pulling shifts at the Belvedere, Trejos Tacos and back at Bouchon Racine.
Follow Joe on Instagram @joe_warwick_
Behind the scenes
NEW - Jessica Garland-Blake
Co-founder- Bash Studios
Originally from Dun Laoghaire, Jessica moved to London 13 years ago after graduating from The Grafton Academy. Internships followed in the fashion industry along with restaurant work which led her naturally towards working in events at companies including fellow Murphia listee Fiona Leahy and Knightsbridge store Harvey Nichols. Designing and producing tablescapes and menus was a fashion foodie's dream combination. In 2021 she co-founded her own events agency BASH Studios. The agency designs and produces parties, mailers and activations for clients including Soho House and Elemis, but tablescape is still something BASH is most passionate about.
Follow Jessica on Instagram at @jessicagarlandblake
Shayne Brady
Co-founder and Director of Hospitality- BradyWilliams
Born in County Kildare, Shayne’s had a passion for art and design from an early age. Having trained in Dublin, he moved to London co-founding the design studio BradyWilliams with business partner Emily Williams. Over the last decade he has been responsible for the design of some of London’s best-known restaurants including Bob Bob Ricard Cite and The Maine. He also collaborated with fellow Irishmen Richard Corrigan on the design of The Portrait Restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery. He’s currently working with Jeremy King on three new projects including Arlington which opened this month and will be returning as a guest judge on the BBC’s Interior Design Masters show.
Follow BradyWilliams on Instagram at @bradywilliamshospitality
Darren McHugh
Head of Operations: Tom Sellers’ restaurants
Dublin born Darren is now running things at chef Tom Sellers’ restaurants, which currently includes the two Michelin-starred Restaurant Story and Story Cellar. Prior to this he oversaw restaurant operations at Santiago Lastra's KOL, and Nuno Mendes' Lisboeta. He has also worked as General Manager of The Ledbury as well as at Marcus Wareing at The Berkeley and Adam Byatt's Trinity. What’s less well known is that he also used to be an actor and writer working in theatre, film, television and radio.
Follow Darren on Instagram at @darrenlmchugh
Molly Hutchinson
Founder - MIAM Management, Event Director of Meatopia
Born in Dublin, Molly got her first taste of hospitality with a job in the local wine shop. After that, she moved to Taste Festivals where she worked on their roster of global events. In 2018 she set up her own company MIAM Management, a creative culinary agency which represents and manages a growing roster of chefs including Lee Tiernan, Brad Carter and fellow Murphia Lister Robin Gill among others. Molly now produces and directs Meatopia, the annual live-fire celebration in Tobacco Docks.
Follow Molly on Instagram @mollyhutchinson
Fiona Leahy
Founder: Fiona Leahy Design
From growing up in Tipperary to creating memorable parties for London's fashion set hospitality has always been in Fiona's family. As a child, she helped out in her parents' hotel in Cashel before running off to New York where she worked first as a waitress and then as a fashion stylist. She returned to London in the early 1990s becoming assistant creative director at Garrard. Her first event was the wedding of Dita Von Teese and Marilyn Manson at Gurteen Castle in Ireland. Now she's most likely to be found curating the most exquisite tablescapes while also working on her eponymous tabletop brand and online store which is set to launch on the summer solstice this year.
Follow Fiona on Instagram @fionaleahydesign.
Sinead Mallozzi
CEO: sketch
With a background in hotel management - at one point she was the youngest and only female London hotel General Manager - Sinead, who's from County Clare, moved into events when she created London's first ice rink at Somerset House. Now as CEO of the sketch empire in London, including its three-Michelin-starred restaurant, she does charity work for Place2Be, and also for Hospitality Action. During lockdown, she wrote a coffee book on sketch which will be released in October 2024.
James Goggin
Founder - Barrel Aged Consultancy
James first entered hospitality back home in Carlow, working in bars, hotels and clubs from the age of 16. But it was New Zealand where he fell in love with the cocktail industry in particular. Moving to London, after a short stint at Happiness Forgets in Hoxton he became an ambassador for Maverick Drinks, training up hundreds of bartenders. He judges whisky, cognac and rum for the IWSC, World Drinks Awards and Spirits Masters and is a keen advocate of Irish spirits in the UK market. Recently he left his head of sales role at Danish distillers Empirical to start his own consultancy business.
Follow James on Instagram @barrelagedgoggin
The producers
Simon Lamont
Owner: Rocks Oysters and Events by Rocco
Dublin-born Simon Lamont's Rocks Oysters has had another busy year as a boutique oyster wholesaler, focusing on low-yield independent farms from Britain and Ireland; supplying some of London’s most exciting restaurants. They’ve been seen at everything from the National Restaurant Awards and Meatopia to our own Murphia List party. You can also find them shucking London’s briniest at Canopy Market in Kings Cross every weekend. They’ve just launched an events arm - Events by Rocco - providing raw bar and cooked seafood services to everything from weddings to corporate parties
Follow him on Instagram @RocksOysters.
Darragh O'Shea
Owner: O’Shea’s Butchers
Darragh is the 8th generation of his family involved in the meat business, which originated in Tipperary back in 1789. Today, he works with some of the top restaurants in London, supplying the best meat to the restaurant trade as well as serving up to the public at the Apollo Business Park in Bermondsey and online from their new website. The butchers specialise in ethically sourced meat, particularly dry-aged beef, whether from their own farm in Perthshire or other like-minded suppliers in the UK and Ireland.
Follow them on Instagram @osheasbutchers
Steve Ryan
Food Photographer - Founder of Root + Bone and 40FT Brewery and Director at Acme Fire Cult.
Steve Ryan is a food & drink photographer from Kilkenny. He moved to East London in 2010 where he founded Root + Bone magazine and 40ft Brewery in Dalston where he is Managing Director. In 2022 he opened Acme Fire Cult with chefs Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins. He has a portfolio of photography clients that include Guinness, Tabasco, British Airways and Jamie Oliver.
Follow Steve on Instagram @_steveryan_
Media
Jessica Corrigan
Co-Founder: Crab Communications
The middle child of chef and restaurateur Richard Corrigan, Jess entered the London food world through the media angle. In January 2019, she launched her own PR agency, CRAB Communications, with friends Tess Berry and Tom Rogers. Jess and her team work with a range of food businesses and chefs including; Tommy Banks, Paul Ainsworth, Blacklock, Fallow, The Camberwell Arms and Caravel.
Follow Jessica on Instagram @jesscorrigan1
Diana Henry
Food writer and broadcaster
Born in Northern Ireland, Diana's been cooking since the tender age of six. In her early career as a TV producer, during which she took a year out to do a Leith’s Diploma Course, she worked on many of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s series. Following parenthood, she started writing about food and is now the author of 12 acclaimed cookery books. Her most recent publication was a new edition of her bestseller Roast Figs, Sugar Snow. As the cookery writer for The Telegraph, she shares the most amazing recipes in the paper every week.
Follow Diana on Twitter@dianahenryfood and Instagram @dianahenryfood
Niamh Shields
Editor - Bia Duit
Niamh Shields has been writing about food and travel in and from London since 2007. She’s the author of two cookbooks (Comfort & Spice and Bacon the Cookbook). After 15 years Niamh decided to retire her Eat Like a Girl blog (for now!). Her new substack newsletter brings her firmly back to her rural Irish roots and passion for all things nature and nourishment. Titled Bia Duit [bee-ah dit], meaning food be with you, and a pun on the Irish language greeting Dia Duit (God be with you), it embraces everything from easy flavour packed recipes to foraging.
Follow Niamh on Instagram @eatlikeagirl or Twitter @eatlikeagirl
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