effect of supporting local businesses when one chooses seasonal products instead of those that come out from big factories or conglomerates. In that sense, his family has been ahead of the curve when it comes to the current healthy-eating trend! He started cooking professionally at thirteen years old. He loved the buzz of the kitchen so much that immediately after completing his GCSE (similar to the American high- school diploma), he divided his time between college and kitchen. His hard work paid off as he was offered the head chef position at The Round Tower before his 19th birthday, followed by managing the kitchen and co-owning Brunel’s, a modern European restaurant. With his sharp skills and sensitive touch, he has won numerous awards; among them, the Yes Chef Magazine Chef of the Year 2018 for Ulster & Ireland, D.A.E.R.A. Chef of the Year 2018 and Institute of Hospitality Chef of the Year 2018. He has also competed in the Great British Menu twice: first in 2020, then in the following year of 2021. To him, the Great British Menu was a brilliant experience. It not only gave him time to be creative and to explore ideas that he would not otherwise have a chance to do, but also got to know great chefs as well as judges. Being a competitive person, he really enjoyed the excitement of the contest and was grateful to meet all the wonderful people around the program. “It was a highlight in my career so far,” he says “and one goal to be ticked off.”
Born in the North of Ireland and raised in a small village called Dundrum at the foot of the Mourne mountains, he fell in love with food at a young age. His grandfather Paddy, who ran a garden center and knew the way of the land, stoked his interest in all things related to food. “I have fond memories of helping him in the garden center and going on foraging adventures for mussels, flounder, sloe berries (among other ingredients),” Chef Cunningham says. Growing up, the food he ate was always fresh and tasty. And nothing was wasted as the family tried to use all parts of the ingredients in every possible way. In addition, seasonal eating has always been ingrained in his lifestyle. To him, the flavor is better and it plain makes sense. The freshness means that the final product is that much tastier. Not to mention the positive
Chef Paul Cunningham
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