Series Synopsis:
Presented by award-winning chef, Mark Moriarty, this exciting series goes behind the kitchen doors at some of Ireland’s top restaurants run by young chefs. From Michelin starred establishments and hotly anticipated newcomers to more casual dining experiences, Beyond the Menu gets a unique insight into the people who are making waves in the Irish food scene. Ireland is going through a quiet transformation in fine dining cuisine and Mark wants to celebrate this.
Mark will travel to the four corners of Ireland, from Donegal to West Cork to meet with other like-minded chefs and spend some time with them both inside and outside the kitchen. What will chef Mark learn from spending time with our brightest young chefs? What drives them, what inspires them and what makes them stand out in this new movement in Irish cooking? In each episode, we get a real understanding of what it’s like to be in this industry from the people who live and breathe it every day.
Beyond the Menu is all about showcasing great young chefs, their raw talent and the passion behind why they do it. Mark will learn what makes them and their food tick, what makes them stand out. Mark will create new dishes with each chef as they host a series of pop up nights all around the country.
EPISODE TWO
Gráinne O’Keefe, Clanbrassil House
Restaurant and Pop Up Location: Dublin
Producers visited: Whole Hoggs, Co.Meath & Higgins Butchers, Dublin.
Mark Moriarty spends time with fellow “Eurotoques Young Chef of the Year 2013” finalist, Gráinne O’Keefe (27), head chef of Clanbrassil House in Dublin. In 2013, Gráinne and Mark competed against each other and haven’t cooked together since they were both chef to partie and junior sous chef respectively.
Gráinne is the poster girl for hard work and admits to working 7 days a week between her head chef role at Clanbrassil House and Culinary Director of BuJo in Sandymount, the only burger-centric restaurant in all of Ireland & the U.K. to achieve a 3 Star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
Gráinne says “. I’ve always said that I’d rather work 80 hours a week doing something I love than 40 hours a week doing something that I hated.” Mark takes Gráinne out of the kitchen to have some fun together competing in a non-food related competition! Will Gráinne beat Mark this time? For their pop up night, Mark and Gráinne recreate some childhood favourites, with an unexpected culinary twist for Grainne’s family and friends.
ABOUT Mark Moriarty
Mark Moriarty is a 27-year-old multi-award winning chef. In 2013 he was named the Euro Toques Irish Young Chef of the Year at a ceremony at Google HQ in Dublin. In February 2015 he was crowned the San Pellegrino UK & Ireland Young chef of the Year at a ceremony in Harrods, London. Representing this region, and mentored by Michelin starred Clare Smyth MBE, Mark went on to be crowned the San Pellegrino World Young Chef of the Year at a ceremony in Milan, Italy.
Mark has travelled the globe working alongside some of the best chefs in the world in their restaurants. He has also taken his pop up restaurants on a worldwide tour showcasing Irish food globally in places such as London, Milan, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Johannesburg.
Mark is part of the team at The Greenhouse restaurant on Dawson Street in Dublin, which holds one Michelin star. Here he works alongside head chef Mickael Viljanen and the small kitchen brigade.