International Women's Day

Women have long fought to be properly recognised in the hospitality industry. As it stands, just 17 per cent of chef positions in the UK are held by women, and the gender pay gap sits at almost 8 per cent. Yet, there’s good reason to be optimistic. The last 30 years have seen more women than ever before become employed and self-employed in the hospitality sector, with many reaching the top of the game. Faced with other demands such as childcare, and often confronted with myriad discrimination, a growing band of female chefs, waiters, cleaners, and bartenders are beginning to forge a path for change. The impact has been powerful. Workplace cultures characterised by yelling, leering, and swearing have become far less accepted in kitchens since more women have taken on positions of authority. It has been female-led food businesses that have spearheaded the introduction of new cuisines from around the world, and this, in turn, has seen greater diversity and democracy in our kitchens. There’s no denying that we still have plenty to do before gender equality exists in the hospitality sector. But with a growing number of UK and Ireland-based female chefs raring to challenge the status quo, and bring alongside it a wealth of culinary excellence, the future is certainly looking bright.

Enter Grainne O’Keefe – 30-year-old chef, restaurant owner and culinary director extraordinaire. O’Keefe’s foray into the world of food had humble beginnings. She grew up on what she describes as “basic” foods, in a household where dining in restaurants was a rarity: “Any meals out of the house were usually a basket of cocktail sausages and chips from the pub.” Hot out of training at Dublin School of Culinary Arts and Food, O’Keefe had stints in various high-end restaurants, including the likes of The Merrion, Pichet, and Bastible, where her impressive work ethic shone. It was at that time where, confronted with the realities of being a female chef, she developed her steadfast approach to gender-based discrimination in the kitchen: “Having some angry man shouting at me about lamb would go right over my head. I will always stand up to people and tell them what I think of them. As a chef, however, especially when you’re young, this can go against you and be seen as a flaw.” Perhaps it was such tenacity that led to her success as head chef at Clanbrassil House, where she was awarded ‘Best Under Thirty’ chef of the year award by the Irish Times, and earned a mention for the restaurant in a New York Times article. Her time overseeing Sandymount’s BuJo burger joint – an eatery blazing a trail for sustainability – achieved similar success, including multiple awards and a three-star rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association.

2021 saw O’Keefe open her own restaurant, Mae (named after the chef’s late grandmother), located above the French Paradox wine shop on Shelbourne Road. In a year where the hospitality industry had only tentatively begun to recover from the pandemic’s devastation, this wasn’t an easy venture for the young chef: “If you’d asked me this time last year would I open a restaurant, I would have said no. But then, when I came to see the place, I decided straight away. As soon as I walked into the room, I could see what it could be.” Indeed, the restaurant certainly looks the part. All exposed brick and natural woody tones, the eatery has a homely yet sophisticated feel and its light, airy interiors are reflected in O’Keefe’s fresh and seasonal tasting menus.

27/07/2021 - MAGAZINE - Chef Grainne O'Keefe, in her new restaurant Mae, above The French Paradox, at 53 Shelbourne Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac DÛnaill / The Irish Times Photograph: Dara Mac Donaill / The Irish Times

Modern Irish

“Modern Irish” with an emphasis on “high-quality produce coming from great Irish producers and suppliers” is how O’Keefe describes what’s on offer at Mae. She’s spot on. Her dishes are simple, but the excellence of the ingredients make for seriously tasty morsels: croquettes served to whet the appetite are elevated by unctuous Basque ham and nutty Gruyère cheese; ubiquitous beetroot tarts are transformed by the presence of sublimely buttery pastry and mildly spiced pickled peppers. There’s something distinctively Irish about the main courses. Hearty, warm and comforting, they leave the diner thoroughly satisfied. But that’s not to say they lack sophistication. The deep richness of her Iberico pork and confit potato is well balanced with salty anchovies and sweet dates. Likewise, the homemade agnolotti is paper thin, adorned with toasted nuggets of hazelnut. Desserts are strongly influenced by French cuisine – a nod to the wine shop below. Real highlights including the apple tarte tatin (laced with calvados and accompanied by zingy crème fraiche) and chocolate mousse, paired beautifully with a fruity olive drizzle. Unsurprisingly, the wine offerings are top-notch: options are extensive (the list is 80 pages long!), with helpful background information on the producers. Service is slick, but the staff remain friendly and are always happy to make accommodations. For €60 per head (which includes bread, three ‘snacks’, a starter, main course, and a dessert), you’ll be hard-pressed to find better value for your money in Dublin.

Mae sets the standard for what a great restaurant should be: unpretentious, welcoming, and full to the brim with uncomplicated, but tasty dishes. It’s little wonder that many critics have deemed the restaurant worthy of a Michelin star. And Grainne O’Keefe is not the only female chef making her mark in Dublin. From Katie Quinn – head chef at Lilliput stores – and head chocolatier and founder of Grá Chocolates, Grainne Mullins, to pop-up afficionado Roisin Gillen, women are stirring up the Irish food scene. It all points towards something very exciting, a subversion of professional kitchen dynamics where men rule the roost. Long may it continue!

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