In Beyond the Menu, a six-part series, award-winning chef Mark Moriarty lifts the veil on some of Ireland's top restaurants, stepping into the most exciting kitchens and meeting the young chefs leading them.
Delving into the thrilling world of Irish cuisine, from West Cork to North Donegal, this series showcases the incredible creativity and talent on this island, alongside the passion, pain, and the challenges of working in the restaurant industry in Ireland.
On tonight's episode, Mark will reunite with his former mentor Ciaran Sweeney, head chef in Dublin restaurant Forest and Marcy on Leeson Street.
Starting his career at 16 at the Rosapenna Hotel near his hometown, Ciaran honed his culinary skills at college and at Le Champignon Sauvage, a two Michelin–starred restaurant in Cheltenham, England where he worked as pastry chef under David Everitt-Matthias.
Soon after, he returned to Ireland and established himself in Dublin, working for Kevin Thornton at Thornton's and then Mikael Viljanen at The Greenhouse. He followed up with stints at the Market Canteen and the Culinary Counter before meeting John and Sandy Wyer, owners of Forest Avenue.
Fast forward to summer 2016, and Forest Avenue has a sister restaurant and wine bar: Forest & Marcy. As head chef, Sweeney leads his team in crafting innovative and mouthwatering dishes, switching up the menu on an almost monthly basis.
However, while chefs live a notoriously "go, go, go" lifestyle, both in and out of the kitchen, Ciaran is actually planning on slowing things down and hopes to return home to Donegal with his partner, Mary, and daughter, Aoibhinn.
Tonight's episode of Beyond the Menu is a ten-year reunion for Ciaran and Mark as they meet in the popular Dublin restaurant where, when the clock strikes 6, it's "showtime" for the kitchen staff. The ambiance and atmosphere of the restaurant always gets Ciaran going – and Mark recalls how his former mentor used to play 90s dance tunes at 7 in the morning to get everyone's energy up.
Ciaran has an all-out passion for food which has led him to a heap of accolades and awards. In Forest & Marcy's first year, the Restaurant Association of Ireland awarded Sweeney Best Chef in Dublin, while the restaurant itself snagged the Best Newcomer and Best Emerging Irish Cuisine accolades. Sweeney was also awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in August 2018.
On the other hand, according to Ciaran, working hard in a kitchen with so much pressure and tension can lead to some unhealthy lifestyle choices. He reveals how he has seen some chefs become addicted to drugs, drink or gambling, and when he met his partner Mary, she made him realise there was more to his days off than drinking and a hangover.
Mark then visits Ciaran’s home, where toddler Aoibhinn helps them prepare a risotto. His daughter is Ciaran’s whole world and a hug from her distracts from all the drama that can unfold in a kitchen. He dreams of a simpler life in Donegal and says that as a chef you cannot burn the candle at both ends forever.
Beyond the Menu continues on Monday, 30 September, at 7.30pm on RTÉ One.
