Two Galway finalists among eight chosen for Young Chef of the Year

A young Galway chef has been nominated for one of Ireland’s top culinary prizes – even though the restaurant she’s working in hasn’t actually opened its doors yet!
But Grainne Mullins – from the soon-to-be-opened Lignum restaurant in Bullaun outside Loughrea – joins Attila Galambos from the award-winning Aniar restaurant in Galway city at the finals of the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year.
The Galway pair are among eight young chefs to make it through, following a skills test semi-final held on Sunday in the professional kitchens of Dublin Cookery School in Blackrock.
And such was the quality among the 14 semi-finalists that the judges opted for eight finalists instead of the usual six.
Grainne works at Lingum, which is set to open in Bullaun very soon – with the aim of brining an ancient way of cooking back into the modern world.
They plan to blend local produce with international experience which has been carefully acquired from around the world, to bring customers what they call ‘the ultimate culinary experience’.
The eight selected finalists in the Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year competition, presented by La Rousse Foods, will all participate in the two-day chefs’ conference Food On The Edge in Galway on October 21 and 22.
They will also have the opportunity to experience a series of educational events lined up before the grand final in November – including a surprise trip abroad, a hands-on visit with suppliers and producers in Ireland and an exclusive collaboration with a leading chef as part of the development program with La Rousse Foods.
The final will be held in the professional kitchens of Dublin Cookery School in Blackrock on November 10, with final guest chef judges including Michel Roux Jnr., Paul Flynn, Margot Janse and Gareth Mullins.