As one of the core staff members at Michelin-starred Liath in Blackrock, Róisín Gillen has had an amazing year, which is why she was awarded Rising Star of the Year at the 2019 FOOD AND WINE Awards in association with Rémy Martin.
Róisín Gillen is quietly making waves in the Dublin culinary scene. Having bounced around in odd jobs for a few years, Róisín decided to pursue her passion for cooking by undertaking a four-year degree in Culinary Arts at Dublin Institute of Technology (now Technological University of Dublin).
Immediately, Róisín made an impression, winning several chef competitions throughout her time at DIT, which afforded her the opportunity to travel to Canada and America to show off her exceptional skills. She then completed an internship at world-class Alinea restaurant in Chicago, which would give her a taste of a Michelin-starred kitchen.
After working with Damien Grey at Brioche in Ranelagh, Róisín joined his team at Heron & Grey, helping him to win a Michelin star. When the restaurant reopened as Liath earlier this year, she was there at Damien's side to help create the restaurant's outstanding menu, which should hopefully be awarded a Michelin star this September.
Highlighting women in the food industry is a key focus of Róisín's, as she launched her first pop-up Forás with Liath's assistant manager Ailish O’Neill earlier this year. The event, which took place at Host in Ranelagh, sold out almost instantly, with guests eager to try Róisín's seven-course menu inspired by prominent female chefs from around the world.
With such an outstanding year under her belt already, it's clear that Róisín's career is soaring. After she was crowned Rising Star of the Year, we caught up with Róisín to find out what this award means to her.
"It felt great to win, I really didn’t expect it and it’s humbling that people see something in me. To be honest, it was great having my fiancé there with me, as we only see each other one day a week, so winning the award made us both feel like I'm going in the right direction, as hard as it can be sometimes. It’s nice to know I’m doing something right! Throughout the next year, I’ll be focused on our progression at Liath and possibly planning another Forás pop-up for 2020."
For more information about Liath, click here.
