Dylan McGrath
Encyclopedia
Dylan McGrath is an award-winning Irish
celebrity chef. He was the owner of the now defunct Michelin
star Mint Restaurant
in Dublin. He recently opened 'Rustic Stone Restaurant by Dylan McGrath' on Georges Street in Dublin's City Centre and has been announced by RTÉ One
as the Judge on the new Irish version of the hit show Masterchef
. He has appeared in the 2008 RTÉ One
television series Guerrilla Gourmet
and in the fly on the wall
series The Pressure Cooker
. Image
food critic Domini Kemp considers him a "creative genius", whilst Derry Clarke
has called him a "brilliant young chef".
till the age of six. He was brought up in West Belfast
before attending catering college. He later travelled to the United Kingdom in search of a career where he worked under notable chefs including John Burton Race
and Tom Aikens
.
, which was broadcast on RTÉ One
in early 2008. The premise of the programme was that professional chefs set up temporary "guerrilla restaurants" at an unusual location of their own choosing. McGrath featured on the sixth and final episode of the series. He chose a dark room in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin as his temporary restaurant venue, serving a menu of lemongrass and pomegranate
dessert. One week after filming an episode for this show, McGrath received his first ever Michelin
star.
In 2010 McGrath opened Rustic Stone Restaurant.
and sparked off a fight with his rival chef Kevin Dundon
over his mistreatment of staff in his Pressure Cooker show, a fight which was described by the Irish Independent
as being serious enough to "[achieve] the rare feat of having that show discussed at water coolers days later". Relieved of the pressure to obtain a Michelin star, he has softend a bit.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
celebrity chef. He was the owner of the now defunct Michelin
Michelin Guide
The Michelin Guide is a series of annual guide books published by Michelin for over a dozen countries. The term normally refers to the Michelin Red Guide, the oldest and best-known European hotel and restaurant guide, which awards the Michelin stars...
star Mint Restaurant
Mint Restaurant
Mint Restaurant was a Michelin star winning restaurant located in Ranelagh, Dublin in the Republic of Ireland. It was owned by the controversial celebrity chef Dylan McGrath...
in Dublin. He recently opened 'Rustic Stone Restaurant by Dylan McGrath' on Georges Street in Dublin's City Centre and has been announced by RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
as the Judge on the new Irish version of the hit show Masterchef
Masterchef
MasterChef is a BBC television cooking game show. It initially ran from 1990 to 2001 and was later revived in a different format known as MasterChef Goes Large from 2005 onwards. In 2008, the "Goes Large" part of the name was dropped, but the format remains identical...
. He has appeared in the 2008 RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
television series Guerrilla Gourmet
Guerrilla Gourmet
Guerrilla Gourmet is an Irish television series broadcast on RTÉ One. The series features professional chefs from various backgrounds, such as Dylan McGrath and Kevin Dundon, who each take on a new challenge...
and in the fly on the wall
Fly on the wall
Fly on the wall is a style of documentary-making used in filmmaking and television production. The name derived from the idea that events are seen candidly, as a fly on a wall might see them...
series The Pressure Cooker
The Pressure Cooker
The Pressure Cooker is a once-off fly on the wall documentary broadcast on RTÉ One. It follows the successful efforts of celebrity chef Dylan McGrath to obtain a Michelin star for his business, Mint Restaurant, in Ranelagh, Dublin. It was broadcast on 4 February 2008 at 21:30...
. Image
Image (magazine)
Image is an Irish lifestyle and fashion magazine launched in 1975....
food critic Domini Kemp considers him a "creative genius", whilst Derry Clarke
Derry Clarke
Derry Clarke is an Irish celebrity chef, reality television judge and proprietor of the restaurant L'Ecrivain. He acted as a judge alongside Bibi Baskin and Sammy Leslie on the RTÉ One reality television series Fáilte Towers and has appeared on other programmes such as The Restaurant, The Afternoon...
has called him a "brilliant young chef".
Style
McGrath's cooking style is centered around visually attractive dishes cooked correctly. But for Guerilla Gourmet he served his food in darkness so that his guests could "hone their taste buds".Early life
McGrath was born in Dublin and lived in CarlowCarlow
Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland, 84 km from Dublin. County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, however Carlow Town is the 14th largest urban area in Ireland by population according to the 2006 census. The...
till the age of six. He was brought up in West Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
before attending catering college. He later travelled to the United Kingdom in search of a career where he worked under notable chefs including John Burton Race
John Burton Race
John Burton Race is a British michelin starred chef, television personality and celebrity chef, made famous by the Channel 4 series French Leave and its sequel Return of the Chef and I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.-Biography:John Burton Race, successful Michelin Star chef, television...
and Tom Aikens
Tom Aikens
Tom Aikens is an English chef.-Early life:Aikens was born in Norwich in 1970 into a family of wine merchants. The Aikens family had a converted barn in the Auvergne region of France where the chef would spend his early summers...
.
Guerrilla Gourmet
McGrath appeared on the television series, Guerrilla GourmetGuerrilla Gourmet
Guerrilla Gourmet is an Irish television series broadcast on RTÉ One. The series features professional chefs from various backgrounds, such as Dylan McGrath and Kevin Dundon, who each take on a new challenge...
, which was broadcast on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
in early 2008. The premise of the programme was that professional chefs set up temporary "guerrilla restaurants" at an unusual location of their own choosing. McGrath featured on the sixth and final episode of the series. He chose a dark room in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin as his temporary restaurant venue, serving a menu of lemongrass and pomegranate
Pomegranate
The pomegranate , Punica granatum, is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub or small tree growing between five and eight meters tall.Native to the area of modern day Iran, the pomegranate has been cultivated in the Caucasus since ancient times. From there it spread to Asian areas such as the Caucasus as...
dessert. One week after filming an episode for this show, McGrath received his first ever Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
star.
In 2010 McGrath opened Rustic Stone Restaurant.
Controversies
McGrath has been involved in numerous controversies, mainly with his fellow chefs. Whilst promoting Guerrilla Gourmet, he appeared on the television chat show Tubridy TonightTubridy Tonight
Tubridy Tonight is an Irish chat show hosted by Ryan Tubridy that aired for five series on RTÉ One between 2004 and 2009. The programme featured guest interviews , audience participation and live music from both a guest music group and the house band...
and sparked off a fight with his rival chef Kevin Dundon
Kevin Dundon
Kevin Dundon is an award-winning Irish celebrity chef, television personality and author, known for featuring on television series such as Guerrilla Gourmet and Heat. He is the author of the book, Full On Irish: Contemporary Creative Cooking and his recipes have been featured in publications such...
over his mistreatment of staff in his Pressure Cooker show, a fight which was described by the Irish Independent
Irish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
as being serious enough to "[achieve] the rare feat of having that show discussed at water coolers days later". Relieved of the pressure to obtain a Michelin star, he has softend a bit.