The chefs at Clonabreany House talk about their inspiration, passion for food and advice for couples when choosing their wedding menu…
We’ve all seen the TV shows where chefs are under intense pressure, managing a busy kitchen, trying to perfect every single dish all the while letting their creative juices (literally!) flow. Being head chef is no easy feat, and Trish O’Reilly and Simon Mooney know all about being in a busy kitchen.
But they both love what they do - something that is clear from the high standard of food they create for each and every wedding couple.
“Becoming Head Chef in Clonabreany has been the highlight of my career,” says Trish. “I get great satisfaction when I see the finished product and especially when I always receive such great feedback from our couples. It’s a hard slog but it is very rewarding when you know that people enjoy your creations.”
It’s clear from speaking to them that both chefs love working at Clonabreany, but Simon says the teamwork in the kitchen is his favourite thing about it.
“Being a chef allows me to be creative, and delivering a great food experience to people is what I aim for. The attention to detail and professional manner in which we fulfill all couples’ individual needs on their special day. I love working with the kitchen team to produce the best quality food that is possible. It is challenging to keep the quality and standards to the highest level possible” he says.
Local suppliers like Floods Family Butchers, Killowen Yogurts, Crowes Farm Organics and Doherty’s Butchers are just some of the amazing places Trish and Simon source their ingredients, but Trish says her favourite thing to cook with is beef.
“Beef always makes an appearance on our menus, and I pride myself on the beef that we serve here, as we offer our guests the choice of how they like their beef cooked. There are not many venues that can offer this service,” she says.
When it comes to wedding food trends, Simon advises not to follow them completely, but also notes a few of the more popular ones he’s seeing lately.
“Street food is becoming a very popular wedding choice, and vegan-inspired dishes are very on trend right now. Novelty things like oyster bars, food trucks, and doughnut walls are also very current” he says.
Both Simon and Trish say that making a day memorable for a couple is their priority - we all know that the one thing people remember and comment on after a wedding is the food, so something memorable for the right reasons is always the goal at Clonabreany.
“There is such a great team here at Clonabreany, all working together to ensure that our couples are overwhelmed with their wedding day food, making it the memorable day they have always wanted. It’s our job to make sure that everything and everyone is working well together, and to make sure that the staff are all engaged and happy.”
A happy kitchen must equal delicious food!