Chef Mark Moriarty is taking a personal journey to Ventry in Co Kerry in his new TV series. He chats to Janice Butler about finding passion and balance in life and why he's doing things differently.
Mark Moriarty is looking very fresh for a man not long off a transatlantic flight. We met early on a Monday morning, and he arrived in from Augusta in Georgia, where he was watching the Masters; golf is his other passion, after food.
"I’ve never seen an event like it. It’s like Disneyland on speed," he says of the experience. "Outside of food, golf is my other love. When I worked in the Greenhouse restaurant, I would always book my tee time for 7.30am on a Sunday morning because it would stop you going out on a Saturday night and get you out in the fresh air after a stressful night in the kitchen," he adds of his time working in the famous two Michelin star restaurant.
Spending just a small amount of time in Mark’s company, there’s no denying he’s an ambitious chef, with the talent to back it up. His love of cooking began as a teenager, when he spent summers in Dingle, where his father’s family is from. He got a summer job in the much-loved Chart House, which closed its doors this year.
As a 16-year-old, he initially struggled with the pressures of the kitchen, but encouragement from his mother kept him going back.
"It was the best place to learn the craft. I remember the first summer I was there, I was nearly going to walk out because I couldn’t cope with the intensity of it. My mother told me I had made a commitment to them to be there until August and that I had to see that through. I’m glad she did because by the end of that summer, I loved it."
Mark had a natural flair for cooking and it was recognised early on. In 2013, he was named the Euro Toques Irish Young Chef of the Year. After completing his culinary degree in 2014, he set up the Culinary Counter, delivering pop-up restaurants around Ireland with chef Ciaran Sweeney. He went on to win the San Pellegrino UK & Ireland Young Chef of the Year in 2015, at age 23.
In his new TV show, Off Duty Chef: Bringing It Home, Mark is going back to where it all began, to Dingle. Mark, who grew up in Blackrock, County Dublin, is taking the show to Ventry, to his now retired parents’ home, exploring the stunning coastal town that has inspired some of his own favourite dishes.
"I sat down with the team this year to see how we could do the show a bit differently. I thought it would be nice to add a bit more of place to it. A lot of the food that I cook is simply Irish ingredients; the best restaurants and chefs are experts in ingredients and that’s what makes the difference to a dish. Ventry is such a beautiful part of the world and a place I’m proud to be connected to, so I really wanted to show it off," he explains.
"My parents are in it, which is really nice. The original family home was renovated in 2005. I would have spent all my childhood summers and school breaks down there. I try to get down at least once a month, so it was nice to be able to work there on this and have them involved," he adds.
While he spent his early career working with the best in the business, from Mickael Viljanen in The Greenhouse to Kevin Thornton; when it came to his own career, he was looking for a more àla carte approach to being a chef, rather than tying himself to one restaurant.
A jack of all cooking trades, he likens himself to Jamie Oliver, in the sense of doing TV shows, cookbooks (Flavour and a new book due out in the autumn), corporate and private catering and food ambassador work. He says he was actively seeking an alternative life as a chef.
"I think I knew from a young age that I wanted to be really good at cooking and be a chef. But I also made a conscious decision to build a brand so that I’m not in a kitchen my whole life. I didn’t want to end up being in my 50s, running what I’m sure would be a successful restaurant but not having that flexibility to do TV shows, books, play my bit of golf and spend time with family. My parents worked in the mental health field, so I had an understanding of balance and the importance of it, from a young age. I’ve built my career around that idea," he says.
"I know myself, once I throw myself into something, it becomes all-consuming for me, so it would have been like that if I had a restaurant and was chasing a star. I’m friends with a lot of the top chefs in Ireland and I have absolute respect for what they do and the sacrifices they make to get to the level they’re at. I made a decision that I’m going to do things a bit differently," he adds.
When he’s not on TV, he’s still engaged with the world of fine dining, cooking at private homes and events all around the world. "It still gives me my outlet for fine dining, and I still do guest chefing. You lose your pace and skill if you don’t keep it up."
He’s hoping to open his own creative headquarters by the end of the year, which will house a small counter kitchen, an events space, office and photography and filming studio. "It makes sense. It’s the next step – the Mark Moriarty HQ, so I can bring it all in-house."
He credits the women in his life: his mother Monica and his wife Gráinne, with keeping him on track with work and life in general. "I’ve been well advised," he smiles. "My mum was CEO in a private healthcare business for 40 plus years, so she brings a wealth of experience when it comes to managing a business, so I’ve been absorbing all of that for the last ten years.
"Gráinne finds work internships for people who haven’t been able to take the traditional educational route. She’s absolutely brilliant. Her whole mantra in life is helping people, giving people a leg up. It’s a mark of the person she is. She’s also a great sounding board for me; she’ll give me a kick up the arse if I’m getting a bit precious or focusing on things that aren’t important," he laughs.
The couple got married in September 2022 in Cloughjordan, County Tipperary. "It was a great day, brilliant meal and brilliant staff. You can’t take it in then, but looking back, it was amazing. We headed to Santorini then on our honeymoon," he recalls.
They also became homeowners recently and doggie parents to their new pup Ruby, who has made our front cover with Mark. "I didn’t really want a dog but when she arrived, I was completely smitten. She’s great company to have around, especially for Gráinne, because I’m travelling so much."
He admits to enjoying the everyday tasks that come with owning your own home. "It’s amazing when you have a house, how old you get! I’m now taking great joy in the flowers I planted in the garden; it’s a great feeling. A lot of hard work from both of us went into getting the house."
Most importantly, who does the cooking at home? "Gráinne is a very good cook. I’m cleaner and more efficient but she’s very good," he admits. "But to be honest, people can be surprised when they open our fridge: there’s a lot of ready meals or easy cook food because we’re so busy. We eat well but not cooking from scratch every night," he says honestly.
With a lot planned for the year ahead and beyond, Mark’s not ready to reflect on his career just yet, he says. "I struggle to reflect or enjoy the good stuff because I’m always thinking of the next thing. I’d rather reflect later in my career on all these things, which maybe isn’t the best way to look at it, but I feel if I stop, someone else will be there to take my place. It’s very competitive, there’s a lot of talented people out there. You’ve always got to be working ahead, looking at what’s next and how to make things bigger and better," he says.
"I’ve achieved a lot but certainly, there’s a lot more to achieve and do. As long as the mortgage is paid, Gráinne is happy and my friends and family still like me, I’m OK with that."
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