Chopping board image food for thought

BARMAN Alan ‘Cooks’ Culkeen is no mean chef. But his culinary chopping skills have shown a new artistic side to the McHale Road resident, writes Tom Gillespie.

The ‘monkey’ shaped face on his chopping board has customers at the Bungalow Bar on Main Street, Castlebar, agog.

Cooks usually prepares his own lunch in the kitchen area of the bar and uses the same chopping board on a regular basis.

It was when one of the sharp-eyed customers spotted the strange ‘image’ on the board that they wondered how Cooks had etched out the face showing eyes, nose and mouth.

Proprietor Amy Mulrennan was equally perplexed when she saw the board.

She said: “I could not believe it. It looks so realistic. I don’t know how he managed to carve out such a face. It must be down to the fact that he is left-handed.

“He takes great pride in gastronomical challenges and is a dab hand in the kitchen. I suppose we will have to get a new chopping board as this one will have to be retained for posterity.”