Series 2, Episode 1
Episode 1 focuses on chef Ian Doyle who runs The House restaurant at Cliff House Hotel, Ardmore, Co. Waterford
We travel to Declan Hurley who grows carrots for Ian’s restaurant. Next it’s on to John O’Regan and Ali Wheeler at St. Raphael’s Centre. Youghal, Co. Cork. This is a HSE Centre for adults with intellectual disabilities where Ian both teaches and gets supplies from. Mike Dunne is a fisherman who supplies Ian with lobster and fish.
Series Overview
Filmed across six months in 2021, presenter Mark Moriarty spends four days with six chefs, offering the audience unrivalled, behind-the-scenes access to some of Ireland’s biggest talents. Each episode aims to showcase the people behind the food, asking what drives them, showing their creativity and talent while noting the sacrifice and sheer graft required to be the best.
Mike Tweedie came from a rural village in Devon and ended up running one of the country’s most exclusive restaurants, the Michelin starred ‘Oak Room at Adare Manor’. Turkish chef Ahmet Dede left his job at the renowned ‘Mews’ restaurant in Baltimore, before changing his style, buying a restaurant, adapting the business model and winning a Michelin star for his new restaurant Dede, all achieved during a global pandemic. Carlow native Ian Doyle left home as an 18-year-old to work at some of the greatest restaurants in the world, having discovered a passion for food. He returned home aged 30 to be closer to his family, taking over at the ‘Cliff House’ in Ardmore and winning a Michelin Star, but the journey wasn’t plain sailing.
Gráinne Mullins finished 2019 by being crowned Irelands ‘Young Chef of the Year’. Fast forward six months and she had lost her job, retrained and turned the family shed into a 3×3 metre chocolate factory. ‘Grá chocolates’ was born, with growth so rapid her hand-painted chocolates are now sold across the EU. In Galway, we meet New Zealand native Jess Murphy, a chef with a big personality and an even bigger heart who continues to maintain her status as
Ireland’s leading female chef. ‘Kai’ is her multi-award-winning restaurant, but Jess’ story is about so much more than her beautiful cuisine, she’s a figurehead of Irish food, including her work with the UN refugee council.
Lastly, we get a fly-on-the-wall look at the most talked-about restaurant opening of the year. Two Michelin starred chef Mickael Viljanen departed The Greenhouse to go out on his own, leaving everything behind. A big risk, will he make it work? Can he achieve greatness? We find out how his restaurant comes to life, as he becomes chef-patron of “Chapter One by Mickael Viljanen”
Each with hugely different backgrounds, experiences and stories to tell – the one thing the chefs have in common is their unrivalled dedication, talent and drive to succeed. Be prepared for some very surprising revelations, unpredictable offerings, and the real-life story from the people shaping an industry bursting with fresh ambition. “RTÉ executive producer Brian Walsh is delighted to welcome back this in-depth look at some of Irelands leading exponents of the culinary arts.
Presented once again by Mark Moriarty, following on from his first two seasons of Beyond the Menu, as well as the popular Cook-In with Mark Moriarty and appearing on Saturday Kitchen (BBC One). Mark is a multi-award-winning chef in his own right, including the San Pellegrino World Young Chef of Year as well as being listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 for innovation. Until recently, Mark was sous chef at the Two Michelin starred ‘The Greenhouse’ alongside Mickael Viljanen, before its closure. Mark has set the food world alight both in Ireland and overseas with his edgy creativity and his passion for pushing Ireland’s food industry to new audiences.
The series is sponsored by Kerrygold and produced by Appetite Media for RTÉ One..
A brand new six-part series of Beyond the Menu will start on RTÉ One on 27th October at 8.30 pm.
Further information Lindsey@lhpublicity.ie 087 256 2835 Deirdre@lhpublicity.ie 087 221 0550
Mark Moriarty:
Mark is a 29-year-old chef, based in Dublin, Ireland. He worked most recently as sous chef at The Greenhouse Restaurant, which held Two Michelin Stars, before finishing in May 2021.
He is currently working on numerous food projects, including TV, brand consultancy, pop-up restaurants and ambassador roles, while keeping an eye on new opportunities. Mark can be found on RTÉ One as presenter of ‘Beyond the Menu’ and ‘Cook In with Mark Moriarty’. As Chef in Residence for Diageo Global, he oversees iconic drinks brands such as Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray and Ketel One. He also produces recipes and content for M&S in Ireland. Mark is a former San Pellegrino world young chef of the year and is listed on the Forbes 30under30.
Chef Ian Doyle:
A native of Myshall, Co. Carlow, Ian Doyle loves nothing more than cooking great food, playing sport,
and sipping a few cans with the lads; a true country gent. It’s taken a few years to find the real Ian, he
left Ireland over 10 years ago before returning in 2018. He took the reigns of the House restaurant at
the Cliff House hotel in Ardmore, retaining its Michelin star in 2019. Ian left Ireland a young man, and
he’s taking all his experience in the worlds top restaurants home. No longer the angry 20 year old that
left Carlow, he’s had to learn the hard way, training in overheated, testosterone fuelled kitchens before
finding another way to work, finding a new vision abroad . Ian is creating a new kitchen environment in
Waterford, one that will allow him and his team to achieve their goals, with a balance and happiness so
often lost in this industry. He’s home.