Pop-up and “collab” restaurant experiences, where chefs appear in another kitchen or location for a night or longer, have become increasingly common in the Irish food sector. We all know how it feels to share a domestic kitchen with a well-meaning helper, but how does this kind of arrangement work in a professional kitchen when chefs are at the top of their game?
Meeran Manzoor, executive head chef at Rare in Kinsale, Co Cork, recently hosted a pop-up event with Aishling Moore, head chef and founder of Goldie restaurant in Cork. He says he really enjoys the experience, but acknowledges that guest cheffing can require some time for all to settle in, to “get a sense of the place and the speed of the kitchen”.
“Every kitchen will have sections so, while it’s kitchen norm that ingredients are segregated, it is difficult to get your eyes used to the new set-up,” he says.
“However, I do find it exciting when a new chef comes into our kitchen – to see how they approach their craft, the discipline and the process. We have to make sure they feel comfortable as quickly as possible and have a fun time. I would encourage other chefs to try it, as it’s very exciting for the chefs and for the guests – it’s like double the treat as guests get to experience two sets of flavours and stories under one roof.
READ MORE
“So I think pop-ups provide a great opportunity to understand how other chefs approach their craft, the thought process behind it and to learn from that.”
Moore, who joined Manzoor in his kitchen at Rare, says there is nothing about a collaboration that she doesn’t enjoy.
“I love doing pop-ups and collaborations because it’s a great opportunity to test yourself in an unfamiliar kitchen and maybe work on a specific menu theme,” she says. “It’s also a great chance to be able to work with another chef, learning from their style and ethos – and also a different front-of-house team.
“I’ve done lots in the last few years and have always taken away great little nuggets of insight, inspiration or technique. But it can be disorienting, especially if you’re ‘popping up’ in a location that is not an active kitchen, where organisation is key and prep lists, pack lists and equipment lists are crucial. If you’re cooking in an active kitchen, it’s much easier as it’s just a case of slotting into their set-up and systems.
“We haven’t had any in Goldie yet as our kitchen is tiny, so it would be quite a challenge, but my advice to anyone collaborating in another kitchen would be to write lots of lists and be disciplined with quantities to avoid waste.”
Robbie McCauley of Michelin-starred restaurant Homestead Cottage in Doolin, Co Clare, and Mark Treacy, executive chef of Sheen Falls Lodge in Kenmare, Co Kerry, will join forces on a collaborative menu at the Falls Restaurant in Kenmare on November 12th.
McCauley, who says his career was inspired by the fact that he “comes from a family where food is very important”, is excited about joining together over top-quality ingredients.
“We’re focusing on the local Irish larder, showcasing beautiful autumn produce such as wild Kerry sika deer, vegetables grown in Clare and stunning seafood from the Atlantic coast of Ireland,” he says. “It’s great for us to highlight what we are doing in Clare down in the Kingdom and I’m really looking forward to sharing the kitchen with Mark. We have gotten to know each other over the past few years but this will be our first time working together.
“Also, the setting of The Falls Restaurant will be totally different to our smaller, more rural cottage, but what we are putting on the plate will be the same, with the same ethos for hyper-seasonal produce cooked with care, to highlight what is best in the area.”
Treacy, who has worked in some of the most respected restaurants in Ireland, says he enjoys the creative side of collaborations.
“Events like this let us push ourselves creatively, share ideas, and most importantly give guests an evening that feels fresh, innovative and memorable, where they will get to experience two chefs interpreting Irish ingredients in their own ways – my French-inspired style alongside Robbie’s deep connection to the Atlantic coast,” he says. “For me, having another chef in the kitchen is not challenging, it’s exciting – a valuable opportunity to observe different techniques, approaches to plating and unique cooking styles.
“This will be the fourth collaboration I’ve been part of, following previous experiences with renowned chefs Mark Moriarty, Vincent Crepel and Andrew Walsh. The atmosphere is always very positive, and the younger chefs in the kitchen are equally enthusiastic, eager to learn, gain exposure to new ideas, and build connections within the industry. I truly enjoy these collaborations and hope to participate in several more next year.”
This will be part of a busy week in Kenmare, with Park Hotel set to host its own collaboration on the 16th with Mickael Viljanen of two Michelin-starred Chapter One in Dublin. Viljanen will work with resident chef James O’Sullivan to create a “five-course feast”. O’Sullivan has described the experience as “a real privilege”. As with most such events, diners will have the opportunity to speak to both chefs over courses.
Also proving that collaborations are of interest to professionals at all levels, including those at the very top of the game, two-star Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin will set history for itself on November 11th by opening its doors to another chef for the first time. John Kelly of the Lady Helen at Mount Juliet Estate will join master chef Guillaume Lebrun in a six-course tasting menu aiming to reflect “the harmony between Kelly’s refined modern Irish style and Lebrun’s French precision”. Kelly is a former Guilbaud apprentice and says his return is a “special occasion”.
There may be some confusion over names, meanwhile, when Kevin Burke of Library Street in Dublin joins Kevin Burke, executive chef at Castlemartyr Resort in Co Cork on November 27th for a collaborative event.
The latter will be hosting the event, and he says that while the “menu is still under wraps”, the two chefs are determined to push themselves “a little outside of the comfort zone”.
“It’s great for the team here to see what other chefs are doing and to get to know guys on Kevin’s team,” he says. “Canopy Restaurant [in Castlemartyr] and Library Street have two very different styles so we’ve been back and forth to one and another to make sure the menu has a nice flow and dishes complement each other. When it comes to working together, it all comes down to planning – I think it will be a great night.”
As Irish chefs travel up and down the country to collaborate with each other, Andrew Walsh, likes to go one step further, taking a long-haul flight from Singapore, where he runs several restaurants, in September to host a special event commemorating the 25th anniversary of his first posting at the aforementioned Sheen Falls Hotel in Kerry.
“I’ve done many pop ups over the years,” he says. “It’s basically all about cross-collaborations, giving the audience different opportunities to see the style of the chefs and the bartenders merging with different outcomes and coming up with fresh new ideas.
“It’s good for the team to learn and also for the clientele to see something which is more diverse. It’s always nice to collaborate, so I was thrilled to host the pop-up in Kenmare as I started out in the Sheen Falls as a young chef and when I moved to Singapore, I took a lot of the techniques I learned in Ireland – including what I learned working with Kevin Thornton for a year – which was a great journey towards precision and detail in cooking.”
The Michelin-starred chef says he has “reinvented many techniques and dishes over the years and his concepts are mixed from travels around the world”.
“I’m very diverse and contemporary and always looking for new flavours and the best ingredients,” he says. “And in November I will be doing another pop-up in Jakarta which will help me to not only network for my venues around Asia, but also to showcase my cooking style.
“Being in Sheen Falls in September was fantastic and a great opportunity for me to have a bit of fun in the kitchen and also to engage with a new audience. It was also lovely to see so many locals as well as family, friends and members of staff – it was a beautiful evening. And I do hope to come back to Ireland some day. At this point I’ve been away longer than I’ve lived at home, so it’s definitely something I will consider for the future.”
While most pop-ups involve a collaboration with another chef, it can also be simply a change from the norm, and this is what and restaurateur and author JP McMahon will be doing when he hosts an Italian-themed event in Aniar Galway on November 30th.
“On a day-to-day basis, Aniar is a fine dining Michelin-starred restaurant serving a 24-course tasting menu, so the Italian Job pop-up will be quite the departure from our normal offering,” says the chef, who recently opened his latest venture, Kombu. “But I really enjoy doing pop-ups because they are a great way to explore a different style of food. When we welcome chefs here, we communicate in advance about the menu, so when they arrive, we will welcome them, introduce them to the team who will be ready to assist.
“A different perspective in the kitchen is always a learning opportunity as people bring their experience and ideas, so chef swaps are a great way to keep learning and remind you that there’s always something you don’t know, and ... there’s a level of nervous anticipation when I travel to guest chef, but also interest and excitement as to what lies ahead, and generally the kitchens and chefs I collaborate with are very open and helpful, so it works out well.”
