This much I know: Garrett Fitzgerald, chef
Kitchens are essentially chemistry labs.
You need to understand what is going on during the various cooking processes. I have tried to instil a sense of that into the recipes in my Brother Hubbard cook book.
I started as a home cook and still call myself a cook and not a chef.
I grew up on a beef farm in Adare Co Limerick. My parents also ran a guest house so I took having lots of people around for granted. I was a very outgoing child and loved that aspect of my childhood. We were all put to work from an early age and I have vivid memories of helping my parents while friends headed off on their bikes or to play tennis.
After school, I applied to do hotel management at Shannon but found out that I could kill two birds with one stone by simultaneously doing a business degree in Galway.
I qualified during the early days of The Celtic Tiger and spent two years working as a consultant for Andersen’s followed by five years in the Independent Commission for Energy Regulation.
But the food bug never quite left me and I dreamt of working in that area. When I hit 30, I began to reflect. When I wasn’t working, my time was taken over by cooking and by food. So I left my pensionable job to pursue my dream. My parents thought I was bonkers.
I jumped off the cliff, left my job and went down to Ballymaloe Cookery School where I trained for three months and it was a unique, life changing experience, being immersed in an environment that was completely dedicated to the quality and joy of food.
After that, myself and my partner, James, went travelling for two years. Thankfully he was willing to leave his job in financial services and join me for the adventure. I met James online 11 years ago.
My idea of bliss is traveling. We spent the first year back-packing through India, Nepal and south-east Asia and the second year we worked in catering in Melbourne because it had a very interesting casual dining scene; a very strong café culture.
I am focussed and probably considered to be quite ambitious. I like to throw all my energy into things.
My idea of misery is working on my own. I enjoy collaborating.
We’d planned to return from our trip and to open a business, but when we got back, the economy was in ruins. We were brave enough to embrace the challenge and opened Brother Hubbard together, I was in the kitchen. James was front of house. It grew organically and unexpectedly.
We were actually very lucky with our timing as we were one of the first on the café and causal dining scene. I think we’d have an even greater challenge if were opening today.
I’m more of a lark than an owl, I used to start baking at 5.30am, but I’ve had to transition from the kitchen to more of a business development and managerial role. I tend to start the day at home catching up on admin and I head into the café mid morning.
I don’t think I get that stressed any more. In the early days there were constant challenges but I’ve become a bit more mellow.
I don’t have a great life work balance and am not very disciplined at separating my personal life from my work. I’m trying to get back into doing things like going to the gym — maybe even going back to playing a bit of badminton.
If I could change one thing in our society I’d create more of a sense of citizenship. I’d like a society where we all participate more. We are all, myself included, so very focussed on ourselves.
I have quite a scientific mind. I’m sensible and rational. I don’t think there is an afterlife.
The trait I most admire is loyalty.
My biggest fault is that I’m not the best friend in the world at the moment, I have been unable to give some of my friendships the attention they deserve.
My motto is ‘together we’re better’.
So far I’ve learnt that life is not a dress rehearsal.
The Brother Hubbard Cookbook by Garrett Fitzgerald is out now, priced at €27.99 (Gill Books)
