Cork restaurateur set to appear on The Apprentice

ONE of Cork’s best known restaurateurs is to appear on the TV3 hit show The Apprentice in the autumn.

The channel had tried to keep the identity of the contestants secret but it inadvertently showed one on a promo released for the fourth series, fronted by Bill Cullen.

The new contestant in question is Sandra Murphy who runs the successful Rising Tide restaurant and bar in Glounthaune.

The 30-year-old took over the running of the restaurant six years ago after serving a stint as a HR manager for the Jurys Doyle Group in Cork.

Since she went into the restaurant trade Ms Murphy, who is a graduate of business studies at CIT, has won a number of culinary awards.

In 2009, the Rising Tide won the award for ‘Best Pub With Food’ from Hospitality Ireland.

In 2010 and 2011, the premises was recommended by food critic Georgina Campbell in her good food guide and in both years it received thumbs up from RTÉ’s The Restaurant critic Paulo Tullio.

She’s not just busy preparing for the show, because on the weekend of September 2-4 she will be hosting the Murphy’s-sponsored Cork Oyster Festival.

The event will primarily focus on seafood, for which the restaurant has become renown.