Derek dishes up 100,000 meals a week on the high seas
Executive chef Derek McKnight, who was born in Ballinlough, Cork city, has 240 chefs working for him serving the finest cuisine money can buy.
He describes himself as a Jamie Oliver-type, who doesn’t resort to the bad language used in the culinary circles inhabited by Gordon Ramsey when the pressure is on.
The 1,388 crew onboard the Independence of the Seas, which was docked in Cobh yesterday, include 79 nationalities and those manning the galley are equally multinational. So they’re able to conjure up some of the world’s most unusual specialities.
“We can basically cater for anything that is asked for. There are a lot more concerns about food allergies today, so we always ensure we take that into account with the people we’re serving,” Derek said.
Prior to taking over the kitchens on the €700 million floating palace, Derek worked on the QE2 and dished up meals for celebrities like Rod Stewart, Kenny Dalglish, Frank Bruno and the late Princess Diana.
He was dishing up the food yesterday for another celebrity, Jody Scheckter, a South African former Formula One world champion.
Everything on the menu has to be passed by Derek, whose chefs bring samples to his office. “I’ve put on a bit of weight, I suppose, but they do say never trust a skinny chef,” he jokes.
Yesterday morning he took a bit of time off to travel down to his family home in Schull and take his youngest son, James, to his first day at school.
It was some first day back at school for 5th class pupils at Glasheen National School. They got a day out on the ship, after winning a Port of Cork competition.
Marvelling at the 2,000-seater Romeo and Juliet on-board restaurant, Stephen O’Byrne commented, somewhat tongue-in-cheek, that it was a bit bigger than The Flying Enterprise at the bottom of Barrack Street.
They were treated to pizza and ice-cream by ship captain Teo Strazicic.
The Croatian has fallen in love with a local pub, which he’s recommending to his friends – when they’re off duty of course.
“Peig’s in Carrigaloe is such a perfect place.”
Unfortunately he wasn’t able to nip out for a tipple last night as the ship sailed to Southampton at 6pm.
