Chad Byrne - Executive Head Chef, Dublin Hilton
I’M RESPONSIBLE for all the operations throughout the kitchens and anything food related in the hotel. I work a five or six-day week, usually 12 hours a day.
I live in Newcastle, Co Dublin and in the morning take the elder of my two girls to school, go home for a coffee and then head into work for 10am.
The first thing I’ll do is check with the breakfast team that everything went well that morning and discuss the plan for the next day. Then I’ll meet with my chefs and the conference team, to talk about what’s coming up.
Today we’ve a lunch for 150 and a dinner for 200, as well as about 80 covers in the bar at lunch and dinner and, in our restaurant Uisce, another 50 or so.
Uisce is my little baby. Everything in it is seasonal and artisan-produced. We’ll buy half a side of pork a week or a side of venison and butcher it ourselves. You can be sure 95 per cent of restaurants wouldn’t do that but, for me, that’s what cooking is all about.
Why pay double the price for a fillet when you can get the whole animal and make sure nothing goes to waste – not just the fillet but the loin, liver, kidneys, bones for sauces and fat for cooking?
It’s why the job takes such long hours. I don’t have to do the night service but I do it because I love cooking. It’s a passion.
Lunch prepping will already be done so, from 11.30am on, I’ll be in the kitchen inspecting each dish that goes out. If it’s not done right it goes back, but I’ve a great team so I wouldn’t be hard on them. I’ve 16 in the kitchen and they’re great guys. I hire for enthusiasm. You can have all the qualifications in the world but if you are not motivated it means nothing.
Once lunch is over I’ll order produce for about 45 minutes and then check with our health and safety guy, who is also our delivery guy, to make sure everything is in order.
I rarely eat lunch or dinner. If you’re tasting dishes all day the last thing you want is a big plate of food in front of you. In the afternoon I’ll head down to the restaurant to do prep there. I’ve a young team there which needs guidance.
By 5.30pm the restaurant kicks off and by 10pm the last dessert is sent out and I’ll leave.
When I get home I’ll have a chat with Nat, my partner, and then I’ll watch a movie. I’m always high after the day so it takes a while to come down.
In conversation with
SANDRA O'CONNELL