The g, one of Ireland’s leading five star hotels, will host a gala dinner to announce this year’s recipient of the David Gumbleton memorial prize. The award, which is in its seventh year, was created in memory of David Gumbleton, one of Australia’s brightest culinary stars, who passed away in 2004. The g’s relationship with David Gumbleton began at the original launch of the hotel.
The event, which takes place the evening of Wednesday May 1, will be see a rare gathering of some of David Gumbleton’s oldest friends and Ireland’s best known chefs including Kevin Thornton; Ross Lewis of Chapter One; Denis Cotter of Café Paradiso in Cork; Enda McEvoy (formerly of Aniar ); and Pauline O’Reilly of the g Hotel. The chefs will all speak during the evening, along with the evening’s MC and close friend of David Gumbleton, Seamus Sheridan. The finale of the night will be the presentation of the David Gumbleton Award to this year’s and last year’s recipients.
David Gumbleton began his culinary career with Tetsuya Wakuda at Tetsuya’s, the world famous Australian restaurant. During his time at Tetsuya’s, the restaurant achieved the number one ranking on the World’s Restaurant List, a position currently held by Noma in Copenhagen. In 2000 he decamped to the west of Ireland with partner Aoife Fitzsimons to settle in Galway, where their daughter Iseult was born.
David Gumbleton's influence on the development of Galway’s culinary culture was legendary and cannot be underestimated. While based in Sheridan’s Cheesemongers his generosity and help to young producers and chefs was instrumental in putting Galway on the forefront of the food map.
The David Gumbleton award was established in 2005, and from then until 2012 was awarded annually to an outstanding young chef in the culinary arts degree programme of the DIT Cathal Brugha Street in Dublin. The g Hotel and the event organisers have announced the extension of this award to include students of the GMIT culinary arts degree.
The 2013 recipient will receive a travel bursary and the opportunity to work with some of the world’s best restaurants including Tetsuya Wakuda and Noma.
“We are delighted that the g Hotel will host this year’s gala dinner to announce the 2013 recipient of the David Gumbleton memorial prize,” said Seamus Sheridan, founder of Sheridan’s Cheesemongers and one of the event organisers. “David was an inspiration to all those who worked with him and his style of cooking and passion was greatly admired.”
At the gala event, guests will be treated to a drinks reception in the hotel’s grand salon, followed by a seven course meal, designed especially for the event by the g’s head chef, Pauline Reilly, in conjunction with Enda McEvoy, all ensuring that the menu reflects the type of food and ethos that David Gumbleton strived to achieve.
Tickets for the event are priced at €95 per person and are available to purchase through the g Hotel, www.theghotel.ie or 091 865 200.
