Niall McKenna: Belfast Chef Knows “What's It All About”
Join us in the first leg of our “Irish Stew Gets Lost in Belfast Road Trip” in the vibrant Cathedral Quarter at its prime culinary destination Waterman House as we explore the recipe for restaurant success with Chef and Founder Niall McKenna.
Niall dishes on his culinary journey from West Belfast, training under influential chefs like Paul Rankin, the evolution of his multiple restaurant ventures including James St. and Hadskis, and the buzz surrounding his Waterman House Cookery School.
For Niall it’s all about cooking with local ingredients, drawing inspiration from regional food traditions, unpretentious dining experiences, and a staff trained in the art of hospitality.
The episode wraps with a deep dive into Niall’s signature dishes (later sampled by Martin and John in a return visit) and his gorgeous new cookbook, What's It All About.
Thanks to Niall for his hospitality and to Tourism Ireland for their unflagging support of our efforts to share contemporary Belfast stories with our Global Irish audience.
Links:
Niall McKenna
Waterman House
James St.
Episode Details: Season 7, Episode 2; Total Episode Count: 105
00:00 - Introduction
01:56 - Belfast Beginnings
03:35 - Paul Rankin And Other Chef Influencers
08:10 - Scaling and Consistency
11:21 - Retention and Mentoring
14:21 - The Waterman Menu
18:05 - Local Ingredients
19:59 - Success and Failure On The Plate
21:17 - The Waterman Cookery School
22:57 - Managing Multiple Locations
28:21 - Peace And The Northern Ireland Restaurant Business
31:13 - Seamus Plug: The Belfast Experience
33:54 - The Book: What's It All About
38:47 - John and Martin Recap
40:39 - Credits
Niall McKenna
Chef and Restaurateur
Niall McKenna has been working in Belfast since 2000 when he returned home after working with Gary Rhodes, The Firmdale Hotel Group alongside Nico Landesis and Marco Pierre White.
With a passion and expert knowledge of food Niall opened his first restaurant James Street South in 2003 winning awards and plaudits not just for his food, menus and service, but for his expertly refurbished dining room designed by Aidan McGrath, alongside outstanding contemporary Irish Art.
Niall’s support for local produce since 2003 has enabled a strong message that local northern Irish produce is not only second to none, but one of the most sustainable actions all of us can make, which is buying local.
In 2011 Niall opened a more casual dining experience with the Bar + Grill at James Street South, enabling both restaurants to deliver great food to a wider audience. Private Dining rooms and a Cookery School were opened in the same year on the first and second floors of the new restaurant.
In 2013 Hadskis was opened in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter followed by Cast and Crew in Titanic Quarter. Both restaurants delivered great food one with a European flair, countertop service and the latter more a get up and go place. Both have since closed. In 2018 with the increase in tourism Niall remodelled his James Street South premises into one restaurant with private dining rooms, on the ground floor and first floor, calling it James St.
Since 2019 Niall has embarked on his biggest project to date which is Waterman House, incorporating a Cookery School, Events spaces and tastin… Read More
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