Richard Corrigan facts for kids
Richard Corrigan is a famous Irish chef from Ireland. 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. Most recently, he opened The Portrait Restaurant in London's National Portrait Gallery.
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 |
Contents
Early Life and Cooking Start
Richard Corrigan grew up in Ballivor, County Meath, Ireland. He lived on a small farm. He says this upbringing taught him to respect good food. He learned how much hard work goes into making it.
He started studying at the Dublin Institute of Technology. But he left school at age 14 to become a trainee chef. This was at the Kirwin Hotel in Athboy, Ireland. At that time, you could leave school at 16 in Ireland.
When he was 17, Richard moved to the Netherlands. He worked in different hotels to gain more experience. One place was the Hilton in Amsterdam. He remembers the Head Chef there earning a Michelin Star.
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. Later, he became the head chef at Stephen Bull's Blandford Street Restaurant. He also worked at Mulligan's in Mayfair. He even had a job as Head Chef at Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill. He would later buy this restaurant.
In 1994, he worked with Stephen Bull again. They opened Fulham Road, where Richard earned his first Michelin star. A Michelin star is a special award for excellent restaurants.
In 1996, he worked with a company called Searcys. This led to new projects. These included Searcy's Brasserie at the Barbican. He also opened the House restaurant and the English Garden in Chelsea. In 2004, he got a big contract. He ran an exclusive restaurant and bar at the top of The Gherkin.
Opening Lindsay House
In 1997, Richard opened his own restaurant, Lindsay House. It was in a four-story townhouse from the 1740s in Soho, London. In 1999, Lindsay House also received a Michelin star. It quickly became a very popular place in London.
More awards followed for Richard. He won the Outstanding London Chef award in 2000. Lindsay House was also named one of London's top five restaurants in 2005.
Buying Bentley's and Opening Corrigan's Mayfair
In 2005, Richard bought Bentley's Oyster Bar and Grill. He had worked there before as a Head Chef. He made many changes to the building. He brought it back to its original beautiful state. He saw the great potential in the restaurant years earlier.
In 2008, he opened Corrigan's Mayfair. This restaurant also won many awards. It was named London Restaurant of the Year in 2008. It also earned three AA Rosettes. In 2009, it was named 'AA London Restaurant of the Year'. It also ranked high in the National Restaurant Awards.
On the same day he opened Corrigan's Mayfair, he closed Lindsay House. He said the old building and tiny kitchen were problems. Other famous chefs were amazed he could serve so many people from such a small kitchen.
Television Success and New Ventures
Richard Corrigan has won the TV show Great British Menu three times. He also won the Great British Waste Menu special in 2010. This show was on BBC 1 and watched by over 7 million people. It ended with a special dinner at the House of Lords.
In 2014, Richard bought Virginia Park Lodge. This is an 18th-century hunting estate in Virginia, County Cavan. He and his wife, Maria, had married there 28 years before. In 2023, he opened a pub there called the Deerpark Inn. It won Gastropub of the Year in Georgina Campbell's Guide to Ireland.
In 2019, he opened Daffodil Mulligan. This is an Irish grill restaurant in Shoreditch. He also opened Gibney's London, a bar in the basement. He worked with Tony Gibney and John Nugent on this project.
Recently, in July 2023, he worked with Searcys again. They opened The Portrait Restaurant. It is on the top floor of the newly renovated National Portrait Gallery, London. This restaurant has received excellent reviews from food critics.
Television Appearances
Richard Corrigan has appeared on many television shows.
- 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
Richard Corrigan has also written several cookbooks.
- 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
