Take-away chef
In theory, wedding lists are designed to overcome that eternal question – what would the couple really like? But what if the couple doesn’t have a wedding list or they already have everything they want?
Enter Richard Corrigan. For a fee, he will come to your home, cook and serve a pre-arranged menu for you and three of your best friends. It helps that he has the same name as “the other fella” – the man from Ballivor, who opened Bentley’s in Dublin, but now spends his time running Bentley’s in London.
This Richard Corrigan specialises in private catering, and an increasing part of his business is catering for private dinner parties. It works like this: About a week beforehand, he contacts you with a suggested three-course menu. You tweak it, or change it altogether, to suit your own and your guests’ tastes, and any allergies that need to be considered. He then emails you a well-organised list of ingredients, separate for each course, which you buy.
Generally, Corrigan aims to start serving at around 8pm, which means he arrives at your home about 5.30pm. The idea of someone else poking around your kitchen could be off-putting, but Corrigan’s relaxed, laid-back style ensures that everyone is immediately at ease. He also finds his own way around the kitchen quickly, leaving you free to attend to your guests.
Everything is cooked from scratch and Corrigan’s attention to detail and presentation is flawless, according to a colleague who used his service recently, courtesy of a wedding present from a close relative. And best of all, he cleans as he goes.
Having been in the catering business for almost 25 years, including a stint in the IFSC and the Savoy Group in London, his own summation of what makes a good meal is good quality, fresh ingredients and good service. “There is no point in having a good meal thrown at you,” he says.
So how does he judge if the evening has been a success? Simple – if he is invited for a small glass of wine when the meal is over (in our colleague’s case, this was around 1am – try getting that in your local restaurant).
Pricewise, a general guide is around €190 for dinner for four. He caters for up to eight people for a dinner party and the service is available nationwide. Tel 086-0283388, or see richardcorrigan.com.
