With a new cookery show celebrating the many food cultures and festivities of Ireland, Donal Skehan talks to Janice Butler on years of bringing people together with food, his plans to celebrate 10 years of marriage, and that "storm in a teacup"
It's hard to believe, but it’s almost 20 years since I first spoke to Donal Skehan. He had just departed the music industry and embarked on a path as a food writer with his blog Good Mood Food; being one of the first people in Ireland to delve into that world. His enthusiasm for good food, simple cooking and helping people plan meals hasn’t changed as his food empire continued to grow.
"I always remember having to fight for my place because people were saying 'You’re not a chef’," he says, reflecting on those early days in his career.
"I always knew very clearly who I was speaking to, and I had a lovely online community and audience. I love seeing that now, the food landscape is so broad; you have home cooks writing books, and it just shows it is about that connection and listening to people’s life stories – there's more acceptance now. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, you had to be one of these bolshy, egotistical chefs, who shouted but that day has come and gone."
Since that time, Donal has published 10 books and fronted many TV shows, such as Meals in Minutes and Eat. Cook. Go as well as expanding his horizons in the United States and UK. He’s always had a razor-sharp attention to detail and he was one of the first cooks to photograph his own food and have full control of his brand, akin to his inspiration Jamie Oliver.
His business has now expanded into producing cookery shows for other chefs and cooks, including Mark Moriarty, Nico Reynolds and most recently, Eva Pau’s Asian Kitchen.
"We’ve never had an Asian cookery show on Irish TV, so it’s something we’re all really proud of," he says of the show, currently on RTÉ. "I remember I used to get the bus into town and fill a bag with stuff from the Asia Market when I was only a teenager. I was fascinated by Asian food, it was so different from what we were cooking at home. So the fact that we’re now making a TV show with Eva [who now runs the Asia Market that her parents set up back in the 1980s] is a real full circle moment for me."
He’s back on our screens this week with his own show, Donal’s Festival Kitchen, a new six-part series which explores the delicious food and rich traditions of some of the most fascinating and joyful occasions celebrated in Ireland today, from Eid al-Fitr and Vaisakhi to Orthodox Easter.
"Ireland is this wonderfully cultured, diverse place now and the food is the connector and the way we can all sit down and understand each other better and I think that’s a lovely way to highlight it," he describes the latest venture.
"There’s so many people in Ireland who are really passionate about their food and what they’re doing so it’s nice to be able to give them a platform and learn from them. Ireland’s food scene is only getting more exciting."
Behind Donal’s youthful, enthusiastic charm is a serious businessman with his finger on the pulse when it comes to the food scene. If he’s not working on his own content, he’s got his producer hat on or working on his latest lifestyle and food brand, Wind Shore.
What’s he like as a boss? "I’m hands on from the editorial and the business side of it, but after that I leave the guys to it. Otherwise, it would be like me having Jamie Oliver or Neven sitting in while I’m filming my TV show, so I give them the space to do it," he says.
"But what we’ve done from the business side of things is to really fine-tune the shows. They now sell in 47 countries around the world, so we’ve been forced to make sure our shows have that ability to sell and appeal worldwide. That’s where my input comes in," he adds.
Donal, his wife Sofie and their two boys, Noah and Oliver, once called Los Angeles home. They grafted to create a name for him Stateside but a pandemic and two young children saw them move back to Ireland to be closer to family. They’ve bought a 1930s cottage not far from his childhood home in Howth, but he admits there’s still plenty of work left to be done to make it the forever home.
"When we moved in, we did a cosmetic make-over to make the best use of the space that’s there but we have grander visions in a few years to expand out because the boys are getting bigger and we’re getting bigger too," he laughs.
"Their room is half the size of ours and in our room the bed is already up against the wall so we’re tight on space. We’ll look forward to a bit of building in the next couple of years," he adds.
Over the St Patrick’s weekend, he made a virtual appearance on American TV, hosting the parade live. "It’s the one time of the year Irish chefs can always get work there," he laughs. Does he still have many ties to American TV? "Not as much; you kind of have to be there to make it work. That’s why we moved out there," he says. "I have great contacts and it works when occasions like St Patrick's come up, but in terms of the day to day, you really have to be constantly there, meeting people; even the five years we were there it was always a hustle, figuring out what was next."
Speaking of cookery shows, I wonder if he’s watched Meghan Markle’s new show, With Love, that’s shipped a lot of criticism from viewers and critics alike.
"I’ve seen clips of it. I’m not one for the hate: I always feel like there’s a bit of a pile on with her which is unfair, but I don’t think she’s done herself any favours," he laughs.
"A few people tagged me in a dish she was making, a one-pan pasta dinner. I had 10 million views on my YouTube for the same recipe 10 years ago and it’s still one of my most popular. It’s actually a Martha Stewart recipe which I acknowledged at the time, but I don’t think she’s acknowledging anyone and these are the things that annoy people," he adds.
A part of Donal’s appeal on social media is his honesty about how difficult it is to keep so many plates spinning workwise, while managing home life with Sofie and the two boys. Looking after his mental health is something he takes seriously.
"That’s been my biggest lesson or realisation, especially since becoming a parent, that you have to portray the reality of life; and the reality for us is the same as everyone else: screaming tantrums, the rush getting out the door. That’s what it’s like and we don’t shy away from it. You’re only lying to yourself if you think you have it picture perfect," he remarks.
"I think with parenting, the little wins are what’s important. I can even see it with my shows and books: they reflect where I am in life, and I don’t have time for elaborate meals. When we first started chatting all those years ago, I would have had much more time on my hand for cooking, but now the recipes need to function and be quick. That’s the chapter of life I’m in."
Donal and Sofie, who have been together since 2006, first met while she was visiting from her native Sweden. They’re a team in every way and this summer will be celebrating 10 years of marriage.
"We talked about doing the whole vow renewal thing, but I don’t think we will. Sofie’s not keen on that kind of thing, but it would be lovely to mark it with a little holiday with our friends. We work hard and have a full-on parenting life so it would be nice to get some time on our own," he says.
Reflecting on his wedding, which was in Lisnavagh House in Co Carlow, he jokes that maybe something more low key would have suited them better. "Looking back, I think I would have just eloped or had something really simple. There’s so much money spent on weddings, and it can be a bit of a racket but that’s all hindsight and life experience," he says.
While we’re in a reflective mood, I have to ask Donal his thoughts on the recent social media spat between Samantha Mumba and the judging panel on The Late Late Show for the Eurovision song selection, of which he was one. Mumba, who was one of the finalists, criticised the panel on social media following the show, where she placed second with her track My Way. Norwegian singer EMMY won the competition with Laika Party.
Not wanting to stir the pot again, Donal says. "I think it came in the darkest, grimmest moment in winter and there was feck all else to talk about."
"Look, I was asked to do a job, I’m a huge Eurovision fan and anyone who follows me will know, not only was I an entrant with the band I was in, but I’m frequently at the Eurovision. It’s a really heightened competition and I understand the hurt that comes from it, so I really do feel for anyone who didn’t win. That just got to a stage where it took on a life of its own. It was a truly Irish storm in a teacup," he says.
Will he be going to this year’s Eurovision? "I’m hoping to. I haven’t got the tickets yet but if they come up, I’ll absolutely be there with bells on. I’ve been watching since 1994 and I’m a massive fan. I’m waiting to do my Mastermind on it," he laughs.
There’s a lot I’ve learned from talking to Donal over the last 15 years or so: he’s a grafter and will be on the Irish food scene for a long time to come. Out of interest I checked what the world of Google want to know about him and I ask what he thinks of the top three searches: ‘Is Donal a real chef, is Donal still married and when did Donal go so grey?’
"Well, the last one is definitely the funniest," he breaks into laughter. "I was dyeing my hair all through my 20s. I started going grey when I was 21. My friend Arthur Gourounlian eventually told me I had to stop dyeing it, so I did, and it just looked like I aged 10 years overnight," he laughs.
"And yes, I’m still married and no, I’m not a chef, I’m a food writer."
