We predicted some time back that Gary O’Hanlon was one of the coming stars of modern Irish food, and that he would soon be known to a national audience, thanks not just to his superb cooking in Viewmount, but also thanks to the level-headed and passionate way in which he sees his work, his suppliers, his calling, his crew.
The business of celebrity has already started for Mr O’Hanlon – the awards, the telly, the public appearances – but what is interesting is how he uses these chances to tell his story. He stays on message, and he talks about his work to build a community of suppliers, and to build an audience who understand what he is trying to do in Viewmount, in Longford. So far, so good: Viewmount is one rockin’ restaurant, and Mr O’Hanlon turns the produce of his suppliers into culinary gold, with a style of food that is generous, earthy and agrestic – salt-fried 28-day sirloin with truffled Crozier Blue; Finnebrogue venison with Yorke’s swede and Valrhona chocolate sauce; his signature anise-cured Thornhill duck confit.
Beryl Kearney runs the room with complete assurance; a sure-fire success story, and Beryl and her husband James also ensure that the guesthouse, originally dating back to the 1740s, surrounded by mature gardens and fitted with atmospheric rooms, completes one of then best double-acts in Irish cooking and hospitality.
