Celebrating leading women in Belfast’s hospitality industry

Gemma Austin at A Peculiar Tea

Chef Gemma Austin has certainly made her mark on the Belfast dining scene over the past couple of years. From impressing the judges on series 16 of BBC Two’s Great British Menu in the summer of 2021 to opening her concept restaurant A Peculiar Tea on University Road after many months of success with her Cathedral Quarter pop-up, this talented Belfast chef has gone from strength to strength.

Gemma is not one of these chefs who, from a young age, knew the culinary arts was her calling. Rather, she originally pursued a career as a nurse before a spinal injury left her unable to finish her training. She then tried out a software programming course but found it wasn’t for her, at which point, she decided to take a new path with a kitchen job and transfer to a Culinary Arts Management course at Ulster University. Here, she honed her skills in the kitchen and underwent rigorous training in a number of luxury hotels and restaurants, where she learnt all the skills necessary to become one of Belfast’s leading chefs.

A Peculiar Tea first opened as a pop-up in Cathedral Quarter in early 2021 and after enjoying much success, Gemma decided to open a permanent restaurant beside Queen’s University in December 2021. The unique concept restaurant focuses on limited menus featuring six courses based around a particular theme. So far, we have seen Gemma and her team (which is made up of a full female kitchen) come up with a Roald Dahl-themed menu, a ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas festive menu, and a Cluedo mystery-themed menu. Having only been open in the city for two months, the restaurant has already proved a hit with locals who rave about the unique concept, creative ideas, and high-quality food presented before them.

Emma Bricknell at Made in Belfast

One of the leading figures in Belfast’s restaurant scene, Emma Bricknell has built a culinary empire with her various locations around the city. Perhaps most well-known as the woman behind the hugely successful Made in Belfast restaurants, which currently boasts two Belfast locations, one on Talbot Street and one on Wellington Street, Emma has certainly made her mark. With flavourful, experimental menus that cater for all dietary requirements and eclectic, bohemian decor that has come to define the Made in Belfast name, we are certain we’ll see plenty more from Emma in the future.

According to legend, Emma, who was born in England, decided to let fate decide upon the location she would set up her restaurants. Placing the names of various cities, including Barcelona, Sydney, Manchester, and Belfast, into a hat, she decided that whichever one she picked out would be where she would go. And lucky for us, that was Belfast. Thus, Made in Belfast was born in the city in April 2008 and has been a firm favourite among locals ever since for its fresh, high-quality menu, which features locally, and where possible, ethically and environmentally sourced ingredients.

Christina Taylor at Shed Bistro and Blank

Relatively new to the Belfast restaurant scene, husband and wife team Jonny and Christina Taylor have changed the game when it comes to dining in Belfast. With two restaurants in the city, Shed Bistro on the Ormeau Road and Blank Restaurant on the Malone Road, the pair have already won numerous awards for their fantastic menus and warm Irish hospitality.

Jonny is the Head Chef at Shed Bistro and while his food is truly remarkable, it is Christina’s flair for creating an unrivalled dining experience that really elevates a trip to Shed Bistro from something good to something great. Christina has experience working and managing some of the biggest companies in the UK, such as Living Ventures, Carluccio’s, and Jamie’s Italian. She brings together this experience from all across the industry to create magical moments in her two Belfast restaurants that continuously keeps customers coming back for more.

Stefania Sanseverino at Ox

Having recently been recognised as the Best Sommelier in Ulster at the 2021 Irish Food and Wine Awards, Stefania Sanseverino of Ox (which was also awarded Best Restaurant in Ulster) is certainly one of the leading ladies when it comes to dining excellence in Belfast. After growing up in Bari in Italy, Stefania relocated to London, where she attended the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET) School London, where she learnt all there is to know about wines, spirits, and sakes.

From there, Stefania came to Belfast and went on to work as a Food and Beverage Assistant for popular hotel chain Marriott International and the fantastic Titanic Hotel in the city’s Titanic Quarter. In August 2019, she was employed as Head Sommelier at Ox Restaurant, where she showed her flair for fine wines and drink pairings.

Overlooking the River Lagan, Ox is a bright and airy restaurant with pared back, simple decor. The restaurant specialises in creative, modern British cooking that has welcomed loyal customers through the doors time and time again since first opening in 2013. Belfast-born Stephen Toman comes together with Brittany native Alain Kerloc’h to create an unforgettable dining experience that is elevated by the wine pairings selected by Stefania. With such an incredibly talented, dedicated, and hard-working team, we can assure you that a meal at Ox Restaurant will be an unforgettable experience.