The Hot Press Interview with Clare Smyth

Culture
01 Aug 18

Originally from Country Antrim, Clare Smyth has worked her way to the forefront of the international restaurant scene. After spells in New York and LA, she became head chef at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, making her the first woman to run a three-star Michelin kitchen. A regular on Masterchef and Saturday Kitchen, she has now opened her own place, Core by Clare Smyth, and was named Best Female Chef 2018 by the World’s Best Restaurants organisation.

From Barry McGuigan through Brian O’Driscoll to Rory McIlroy, the British media are notorious for claiming the Irish as one of their own – when they’re successful.

Well, they were quick off the mark in hailing Clare Smyth as the first British subject to win the ‘Best Female Chef in the World’ accolade, which was awarded to her by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants outfit, back in June.

With a popular English surname and an MBE tucked under her chef’s hat, you might be forgiven for presuming that Clare Smyth is as English as muffins. After all, she was even handpicked to cater for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent nuptials.