Beginner’s pluck: Food entrepreneur Eunice Power

'My Irish Kitchen Table' is much more than just a book of easy-to-follow recipes, it also includes anecdotes and memories from Eunice’s life

Eunice Power: 'It’s always been in my mind to write my own book. I wanted easy accessible recipes that work, for the current population.” Picture: Chani Anderson

A farmer’s daughter, the eldest of four, Eunice always had a strong bond with her mother.

“I was a homemaker from a young age,” she says. “I’d take over when my mother was away and would report on the behaviour of the others.”

After college and a spell in hotel management, Eunice realised it was more practical to work from home.

“We had a B&B, then a restaurant, and then I went into private catering,” she says. 

That works really well. I have some amazing clients.

These days Eunice’s work includes being an event caterer, owner of an award-winning takeaway, CEO of the Waterford Festival of Food, brand foodie with Tesco, and regular cook on RTÉ’s Today Show.

For many years Eunice wrote a food column for The Irish Times, mainly on seasonal baking. 

She previously wrote a book for the stove manufacturer, Waterford Stanley.

“It’s always been in my mind to write my own book,” she says. “I wanted easy accessible recipes that work, for the current population.”

Who is Eunice Power?

Date/ place of birth: 1969/ Waterford.

Education: Loretto Abbey Rathfarnham as a boarder. “I loved that because it allowed me to be a child.” Shannon, Hotel Management. “We had two years in the college, then two years catering. It was the best fun.”

Home: Dungarvan.

Family: Sons, Micheál, 26, and Kieran, 21. (Jerome, 24, sadly died earlier this year.)

The day job: Food entrepreneur.

In another life: “I’d have probably been in PR,” she says. “I’m good at bringing collaborations together, and in matchmaking in a business sense.”

Favourite writers: William Boyd; Hilary Mantel; Maggie O’Farrell; Florence Knapp; Graham Norton, “and cookery writers Diana Henry and Nigella Lawson”.

Second book: “There will be one.”

Top tip: “Just get going. Sit down and start. That was the hardest thing for me. There’s a lot of running down to the kitchen checking and measuring things when you’re writing a cookery book.”

Website: www.eunicepower.com

Instagram: @Eunice_power_

The debut

My Irish Kitchen Table

Gill Books, €26.99

Much more than just a book of easy-to-follow recipes, this beautifully produced and illustrated book includes anecdotes and memories from Eunice’s life. 

The recipes, although traditional, have a modern twist.

The verdict: A perfect present — if you can bear to give it away.