Ahead of St Patrick’s Day, the best of Irish talent across London’s food and drink world has been celebrated in emphatic fashion, with the 10th edition of Hot Dinners’ Murphia list.
The list, record-long at 67 entries, features 16 new entries and champions chefs, restaurateurs, front of house staff, the media, producers and those working behind the scenes. Among the new names are the trio behind Emerald Eats — presently one of the most talked about restaurants in town — the Dorchester’s head butler, Sean Devoren, and Baudry Greene chef Kate O'Sullivan. Also fresh to the list is Ross Culligan, the bar manager at the Devonshire, who mans what are thought to be the busiest Guinness taps in London.
More familiar names who’ve once again made the grade include Richard Corrigan, Clare Smyth, Anna Haugh and Patrick Powell, and their inclusion is a reminder of how much changes in London’s restaurant scene year-on-year: since last year’s list, Corrigan has opened a restaurant at the National Portrait Gallery, Smyth has built a cocktail bar, Whiskey & Seaweed, Haugh has begun working up plans for a wine bar, while Powell launched the Midland Grand.
Published in association with Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, this years’ list will be celebrated tonight with a party at riverside venue Sea Containers Events. It is usually a lively event, and as such is popular with the industry. It also marks the start of a week heavy with Irish celebrations, with St Patrick’s Day falling this Sunday.
“We can't quite believe it's been 10 years since we launched the list,” says Catherine Hanly, co-founder of Hot Dinners. “It's always been a very timely celebration of the Irish contribution to what makes London a great city to go out in and it's great to herald the list's 10th birthday with its biggest one to date.”
Hanly and her brother and co-founder Gavin are themselves second-generation Irish.
The list in full:
Chefs
- Luke Ahearne, head chef, Lita (new)
- Kate O'Sullivan, head chef, Baudry Greene (new)
- Paddy Maher, head chef, Pearly Queen (new)
- Finn Flood, head chef, The Chelsea Pig
- Diarmuid Goodwin, head chef, Sager + Wilde
- Conor Gadd, chef/owner, Trullo
- Kenneth Culhane, head chef, The Dysart
- Nick Fitzgerald, chef/patron, Tacos Padre
- Fiona Hannon, head chef, Bentley's
- Anna Haugh, chef patron, Myrtle Restaurant
- Colin Kelly, head chef, The Twenty Two
- Marguerite Keogh, head chef: The Five Fields
- Niamh Larkin, Executive Pastry Chef, 45 Park Lane
- Dave McCarthy, head chef: Scott's Mayfair
- Patrick Powell, head chef: Allegra, Midland Grand Dining Room
- Max Rocha, chef owner, Café Cecilia
- Clare Smyth MBE, chef patron, Core by Clare Smyth
- Richard Corrigan, chef patron, Corrigan Collection
Restaurateurs
- Eoghan Shankey, co-owner Shankeys (new)
- Patrick Frawley, co-owner 65A Spitalfields (new)
- Ian Duignan and Jay Bradley, co-owners of Boha (new)
- John Devitt, owner, Koya
- Robin and Sarah Gill, restaurateurs and chef, Sorella, Darby's, and Bottle & Rye
- Brian Hannon, restaurateur, Super 8 Restaurants
- David Moore, founding director, Pied à Terre
- John Nugent, CEO, Green & Fortune
- Mark and Alan Wogan, directors, Homeslice
Pubs, bars, cafes and bakeries
- Ross Culligan, bar manager, The Devonshire (new)
- Nicola McDonagh, general manager, The George (new)
- Emma Moran, Niall Morrissey, Henry Spellmen, owners, Emerald Eats (new)
- Colin Maher, bar manager, JKS Pubs
- Oisín Rogers, co-owner and pub landlord, The Devonshire
- Cormac Gibney, bar manager, Gibney's London
- Ciara O'Shea and Ken Nally, owners, F. Mondays
- Gearoid Devane, founder, The Black Book
- James Hennebry, co-founder, Rosslyn Coffee
- Aaron Wall, owner, Homeboy
- Ciaran Smith, owner, The Bottle Cocktail Shop & Bar
- Dee Rettali, owner, Fortitude Bakehouse
Front of house
- Sean Devoren, head butler, The Dorchester (new)
- Niall Harte, GM of Lyles (new)
- Sean McDermott, head doorman, Scott's (new)
- Fergal Lee, head of operations, The Wolseley
- Michael Lynch, head butler, Claridge's
- Olivia McGowan, assistant GM, Niju
Behind the scenes
- Jessica Garland Blake, founder, Bash Studios (new)
- Richie Corrigan, managing director, Corrigan Collection
- Conor Daly, operations manager, JKS Pubs
- Darren McHugh, head of operations, Chef Tom Sellers’ restaurants
- Shayne Brady, co-founder and director of hospitality, Brady Williams
- Shane McHugh, group wine buyer, Goodman Restaurant Holdings Ltd
- Joe Warwick, freelance front of house
- Fiona Leahy, founder, Fiona Leahy Design
- James Goggin, founder, Barrel Aged Consultancy
- Sinead Mallozzi, CEO, sketch
Producers and retailers
- Darragh O'Shea, director, O’Shea’s Butchers
- Steve Ryan, food photographer, founder of Root + Bone and 40FT Brewery, and director at Acme Fire Cult.
- Simon Lamont, owner, Rocks Oysters
Media
- Jessica Corrigan, co-founder, Crab Communications
- Diana Henry, author
- Molly Hutchinson, founder, MIAM Management, event director of Meatopia
