Conrad’s back to Irish stew after soufflé crumples

SMALL is beautiful.

Although the celebrity chef was found innocent earlier this week on charges of theft relating to three paintings which went missing from his restaurant in the Fitzwilliam Hotel in 2000, the experience is not one he is likely to dine out on.

All in all, Gallagher spent six unappetising days in court hearing the ungarnished details of how his once towering food empire began to crumple like a bad soufflé. But at least, the non-guilty verdict will allow the one-time enfant terrible of Irish restaurants to restart a career that, like nouvelle cuisine, has often promised much but so far ultimately failed to surpass one's expectations.