Richard Corrigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Corrigan
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| Born | 10 February 1964 County Meath, Ireland
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| Education | Dublin Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Chef |
| Spouse(s) | Maria |
Richard Corrigan is a famous Irish chef. He was born on February 10, 1964. He owns and runs several popular restaurants. These include Corrigan's Bar & Restaurant Mayfair, Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill, and Daffodil Mulligan Restaurant & Gibney's Bar in London. He also owns Virginia Park Lodge and the Deerpark Inn in County Cavan, Ireland. His newest restaurant is The Portrait Restaurant in London's National Portrait Gallery.
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Richard Corrigan's Early Life
Richard Corrigan grew up in Ballivor, County Meath, Ireland. He lived on a small farm of about 25 acres. He says this farm life taught him to respect good food. He learned how much hard work goes into growing and making food.
He started studying at Dublin Institute of Technology. But he left school at age 14 to become a trainee chef. This was at the Kirwin Hotel in Kylemore, Ireland. At that time, kids could leave school at 16 in Ireland. When he was 17, Richard moved to the Netherlands. He worked in different hotels to learn more about cooking.
Richard Corrigan's Career Journey
After four years in the Netherlands, Richard Corrigan moved to London in 1985. He worked at the Le Méridien hotel in Piccadilly.
Opening His First Restaurants
Later, Corrigan became the head chef at Stephen Bull's Blandford Street Restaurant. He also worked at Mulligan's in Mayfair. He even spent some time as head chef at Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill. In 1994, he helped open Fulham Road. Here, he earned his first Michelin star. This is a special award for excellent restaurants.
In 1996, he worked with a company called Searcys. This led to new projects like Searcy's Brasserie. He also opened the House restaurant and the English Garden. In 2004, he got a big job running a restaurant and bar at the top of The Gherkin building.
Lindsay House and Bentley's
In 1997, Richard opened Lindsay House in Soho, London. It was in an old townhouse from the 1740s. In 1999, Lindsay House also won a Michelin star. It became a very popular restaurant in London. He won the Outstanding London Chef award in 2000. Lindsay House was even named one of London's top five restaurants in 2005.
In 2005, he bought Bentley's, where he had worked before. He fixed up the old building to make it look beautiful again. He saw great potential in the place years earlier.
Corrigan's Mayfair and Other Ventures
In 2008, he opened Corrigan's Mayfair. This restaurant quickly won many awards. It was named London Restaurant of the Year in 2008. It also got three AA Rosettes. In 2009, it was named 'AA London Restaurant of the Year'.
On the same day he opened Corrigan's Mayfair, he closed Lindsay House. He said the old building and its tiny kitchen made it hard to cook for many people.
Richard Corrigan has won the TV show Great British Menu three times. In 2010, he also won the Great British Waste Menu special. This show was about cooking with less waste. It ended with a special dinner at the House of Lords.
New Projects in Ireland and London
In 2014, Corrigan bought an old hunting estate called Virginia Park Lodge. It is in Virginia, County Cavan, Ireland. He and his wife, Maria, got married there 28 years before. In 2023, he opened a pub called the Deerpark Inn in Virginia. It won Gastropub of the Year in a guide to Ireland.
In 2019, he opened Daffodil Mulligan. This is an Irish grill restaurant in Shoreditch, London. He also opened a bar called Gibney's London with other partners.
Most recently, in July 2023, he worked with Searcys again. They opened The Portrait Restaurant. It is on the top floor of the newly updated National Portrait Gallery, London. Many food critics have given it great reviews.
Richard Corrigan's Public Views
Richard Corrigan is known in Ireland for sharing his thoughts on important topics. He sometimes talks on RTÉ Radio 1 about current events, like Brexit.
Richard Corrigan on Television
- Cookery School (Channel 4)
- Chef's Race (BBC America)
- Great British Menu (BBC Two)
- Great British Food Revival (BBC Two)
- Full On Food, Saturday Kitchen (BBC One)
- Market Kitchen (UKTV)
- Something For The Weekend (BBC Two)
- The Wright Stuff (Channel 5)
- Corrigan Knows Food (RTÉ)
- The Taste (Channel 4)
Books by Richard Corrigan
- 1999: The Richard Corrigan Cookbook: From the Waters to the Wild
- 2008: The Clatter of Forks and Spoons: Honest, Happy Food
- 2011: Cookery School: Where anyone can learn to cook
See also
- List of oyster bars
