Conrad Gallagher

Gallagher was raised in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. He joined a school punk band "Kakistocracy" but his main passion as a teenager was food and inspired by his grandmother's and mother's home cooking he decided to leave St Eunan's College age 15 and train as a chef at Killybegs Catering College.

After training in Ireland from such a young age, he went on to win 4 gold medals at Hotel Olympia and Chef Ireland.

Later he gained invaluable experience with some of Ireland's top chefs before moving to New York to take on his dream of becoming a head chef.

In New York he joined the team at the prestigious Plaza Hotel. The Waldorf Astoria's Peacock Alley later recruited him where he spent two years as Sous Chef under the legendary Laurent Manrique. While living in New York he went on to work in Restaurant Daniel and Park Avenue Café.

The feedback from food lovers on the new brilliant Irish chef in New York was recognized when Gallagher was appointed personal chef for President Bill Clinton's party on St Patrick's Day 1996 in the White House.

As a chef Conrad has been awarded with many top awards such as Irish chef of the year in 1998 and 1999-2001. To top his rise Conrad became the youngest ever chef to receive a coveted Michelin Star for his Peacock Alley restaurant in Dublin.

Regardless of being falsely accused of theft by his landlords, imprisoned in New York and cleared of all charges back home, Conrad let his extraordinary talents as a master chef do the talking. He won Restaurant of the Year, Best Service and Wine List and a number of other achievements including Conde Naste Traveler's Top 15 in the World.

Whilst living in South Africa, Conrad Gallagher consulted for Sun International Group where he was appointed Group Executive Chef in 2004 designing restaurants, recipes and menus for some of the most prestigious dining establishments in South Africa.

After five years away Conrad returned to Ireland in summer 2009 along with his South African born wife Candice Coetzee and two young sons. The plan was to open a new Irish 'tasting room' Salon Des Saveurs on Dublin's Aungier Street.

Since it opened the restaurant has been a roaring success. Conrad also operates an international consulting business across the USA and the Far East. In 2010 the ever-busy super chef also opened Conrad's Kitchen in Sligo again with ‘booked out' signs nightly.

Conrad is a skilled writer, has published many cookery books and in late 2010 published his autobiography Back On the Menu.

www.conradgallagher.com