Mayo chef has ‘all the trimmings’ for Christmas dinner

By Tom Gillespie

MULTI-award winning chef Kevin Stirzaker, of The Dining Room restaurant in Castlebar, will play Santa this Christmas to stressed-out people as they prepare the festive dinner on December 25.

Instead of having to slave over the preparation of all the seasonal trimmings, Kevin, who has just been highly recommended as Best Chef in Connaught 2023 by Food & Wine, will provide ‘all the trimmings’, with easy to follow re-heat instructions.

Then all the designated Christmas Day cook needs to worry about is cooking the turkey and ham to perfection.

Manchester native Kevin and his wife Shirley run The Dining Room restaurant in the heart of Castlebar. They have scooped a long list of prestigious awards since opening on Main Street.

Kevin left Manchester at the age of 17 to visit close friends in Ireland and it was in Mayo that he met Shirley, the girl that would later become his wife.

Working in restaurant kitchens from this young age, Kevin has always had a profound respect for skilled chefs.

Through an apprenticeship course with the Galway Mayo Institute of Technology, he completed his qualification in the culinary arts, with an emphasis on practical cookery and classic techniques.

While studying he worked in a local butchers, fine-tuning his skills and gaining a deeper appreciation for fine quality produce.

Kevin has honed his skills through the years and has found himself leading the service in some of Mayo’s best restaurants. He has also worked in London, alongside world class chefs.

Working together in many restaurants through the years, it has been a life long dream for Shirley and Kevin to open a restaurant of their own.

Today, he and Shirley run The Dining Room, which would be known to Castlebar people as Breege McCarthy’s, where they offer a classic, intimate dining experience.

Kevin’s special Christmas dinner trimmings include potato gratin, creamed potato, cauliflower cheese, mixed vegetables, red cabbage, honey roast vegetables, stuffing, their very own gravy, bread sauce, cranberry and apple sauce and finished off with ginger sticky toffee pudding.

Reservations for their Christmas trimmings can be made from their Facebook page or they can be contacted on (094) 9021861 or email diningroombook@gmail.com. The opening hours are Wednesday to Saturday 6 to 9 p.m.