Robert McHugh speaks to Gary O’Hanlon, executive head chef at The K Club, ‘the 550-acre estate synonymous with the good life.’
Gary O’Hanlon became executive head chef at The K Club in April after five years as head chef of The Condor at the world-famous Chateau du Coudreceau in France.
Originally from Ramelton, near Letterkenny, O’Hanlon has been a frequent fixture on Irish TV screens since 2008 with appearances on MasterChef Ireland, Four Live, The Today Show, Late Lunch Live, The Six O Clock Show, and is the resident chef on ‘The Restaurant’.
In an exclusive interview with Hospitality Ireland, O’Hanlon talks to Robert McHugh about his career to date and what his plans are for the future.
How are you settling in to your new role at the K Club?
Loving it. About four months in already and it’s going great. I was expecting it to be busy but maybe not as busy as it actually is.
I can’t imagine there’s a busier resort in the country. I was very fortunate that Phillip (Brazil), the previous executive chef, left me a really solid team and it enabled me to hit the ground running. So far, so very good.
What is the ethos of the K club?
It is very much about creating a memorable experience for our guests by people at the top of their game who are working as a unified team in very much a strong valued culture.
Paul (Heery), our CEO, and Michael (Fetherston), our owner, are adamant that we create a solid culture that aligns personalities and passion whilst delivering on business goals. It is very much a people first organisation. That has really stood out to me from day one.
The K Club has been recognised as a ‘Great Place To Work’ and the foundation of any great hotel or business is its staff and I’m delighted to say we have some of the best I’ve seen working here.
Please tell us about your background – where you grew up, studied, etc.
I’m proud to say I’m a Donegal man. Ramelton to be precise. I’d a fabulous time growing up in Ramelton and my family are all still there, so I get back every couple of months or so.
The summer is the best time to get back as I get to golf at The Rosapenna in Downings, which is where my career started back in 1993 as a KP. The following year I was in as a commis, and then I did another season, before heading to Tourism College Killybegs in September of 1995.
Back then, just to get into Killybegs, you needed a few years experience under your belt so I was delighted to get in when I did.
Did you always have a desire to be a chef?
Yes. From around the age of 11 or 12 there was only two options as far as I was concerned. Be a pilot or a chef. I did well at school so I could have easily gone either way but I felt really drawn to cooking in a professional capacity early on. By the time I was turning 14, it was pretty much all I could think of.
I turned 15 the day after I started in The Rosapenna and there was zero doubt after even a few days that I’d ever do anything else. I was addicted to the professional kitchen environment.
The Rosapenna was such an incredible hotel back then and it still is to this day. Everything was done right. I really looked up to Mr. Casey who owned the place and I still do many, many things today the exact same way I was taught by him and the kitchen team.
What do you consider your first major role?
There are two that really stand out. Devlin’s in Boston and Viewmount House in Longford.
Tom Devlin was the owner of Devlin’s in Boston. He has about ten restaurants today but Devlin’s in Brighton Center was his first restaurant and it was only open a month or two when he made me head chef. I never looked back.
Tom was a brilliant chef himself and he was tough on me. From menu writing to menu costing and more he ruled the roost and he taught me so much. It was the first time my mind went beyond just the food.
Tom taught me that all the little details are what makes a restaurant inviting - music, lights, the way someone answers the phone, if staff are smiling etc. The lot. Tom was relentless. He pushed me hard beyond words but I’ll be forever in his debt. I owe him a lot.
The head chef job in Viewmount House though is the role that genuinely changed my life. I left Boston, and not long after coming home, I took on the role of head chef in Viewmount House. Every man and his dog told me I was nuts taking a job in Longford but I simply said, “If Neven can get people to drive to Blacklion, I can get them to drive to Longford.” And I really meant that too.
The place was just beautiful and from day one of opening it was a success. I really put my heart and soul into Viewmount House. I loved James and Beryl, the owners, and they let me run it the way I wanted and it went on to be named Best Restaurant in Ireland in 2014.
It really was an amazing place. Everything was done right and I was extremely proud of what we achieved there. My sous chef Daniel, Wojciech, Sammie, Eoin, Esmeralda, Radek, Hubert, Adam et al. Friends for life.
I always remember asking a Garda for directions to Viewmount House the day I met with the owners and he didn’t know where it was and had never heard of it. In my last month there, I won the ‘Georgina Campbell Award’ for Services to Irish Food. It was a beautiful end to ten amazing years there. A proud day I can tell you!
You are resident chef on ‘The Restaurant’ on TV3. How did this come about?
I came extremely close to being one of the presenters of MasterChef Ireland but lost out on the final day of auditions but not long after that VIP productions sent out a casting call and I got put forward to do one episode.
It was for a Christmas Special of the show. I guess the guy that normally does starters was away on holidays or something and they got a last minute slot on the RTE schedule to run a Christmas Day special.
Out of 150 applications, three chefs were screen tested and I got the gig. The audition was in Cathal Brugha Street and the director was a Donegal woman, Caitriona McBride. We hit it off immediately and the audition obviously went well because I got the call.
Fourteen years on, I’m still doing the gig so it was very much a case of grabbing the opportunity with both hands, doing a professional job and thankfully Philip liked me (Owner of VIP) and I’m still a part of the show to this day.
What are the main challenges in hospitality at the moment?
Skilled labour shortages. Without a shadow of a doubt there are major shortages of skilled chefs and front of house operators.
At the beginning of this piece, I mentioned about having to do three or four years work experience just to get into Killybegs back in the 90s.
Out of almost 1800 applications back then, only 100 people got a place and after four weeks this got whittled down to the best 90. I remember a handful of years ago hearing the head of the college saying they had eight applications for the Culinary Programme. Fine dining as we know it will change dramatically over the next 10-15 years.
There are so many options open to people nowadays and even within food there are so many diverse careers. Lots of the finest restaurants in London are already gone to Monday to Friday opening hours but they can do that.
The money is in the big cities during the week anyways and lots have also had to go to four day weeks to attract staff. It is a worrying time for sure.
What are your plans for the future?
All my focus right now is on The K Club. I had significant consultancy role in Paris that I walked away from after starting here as I knew all my focus had to be on The K Club. It simply demands everything you’ve got.
Just a few weeks after starting, I was hitting the busiest month of the year and the season was truly up and running. There was barely time to breathe and take stock. It was just shoulder to the wheel and figure it out and FAST!!
I have some amazing head chefs here and I can’t wait to get to October so we can get together and break bread together. I have already started planning some educational day trips with them.
I am a big believer in chefs knowing where their food comes from so whether it’s an abattoir in Meath, a hanging room in Longford or a Duck producer in Cavan, I plan on having a trip a month over the winter months with the crew here to see the beautiful part of this job. Learning more and tasting everything and anything we can get our hands on and taking those learnings back to The K Club to push each restaurant on.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
When not working, it’s all about golf or a good trip on my motorbike. Myself and a few chef pals are just back from a trip to Wild Honey Inn in Lisdonvarna. Aidan McGrath has been a great friend of mine for years so we went down the coast road to visit him recently and it was amazing.
Golf though is a major love of mine. I simply adore the game. I’m useless though. I don’t get to play nearly enough. My old boss used to call me the most confident s*** golfer he ever laid eyes on.
For many years, Mark Moriarty and I have been playing at The K Club so it’s a place close to my heart. It is steeped in history. Many golfers visit Ireland to play Links Golf but very few pass on The K Club.
With The Ryder Cup in 2006 and then last year's Irish Open as well as two of the next three Irish Opens it really is the home of golf in Ireland for me. A special place that I am lucky enough to work in.
