Daniel willimont – executive head chef of kilronan CASTLE
We are delighted to introduce to you our new Executive Head Chef Daniel Willimont, originally from the UK Daniel began his career in the industry by attending The Royal College of Catering in Cheltenham, England. He spent his weekends doing extra stages in kitchens alongside Raymond Blanc and Gordon Ramsey as well as reputable Bakeries and Butchers gaining valuable experience that would stand with him throughout his professional career in the Kitchen.
He began his career in the Hotel & Catering industry in fine dining restaurants and hotels, in the beautiful scenic region of the Cotswolds, England. Daniels plan was to temporarily re-locate to Ireland in 2003 after finishing work in a 2 Michelin Star restaurant he wanted to re-charge his batteries and focus on his international travels. His mother originally from Waterford and father from London were building a house in Mayo in which he lent a hand throughout the development, he fell in love with Ireland during this time and you could say, the rest is history…
Daniel is classically trained in French Cuisine; however throughout his life travels he has gained a wider collection of skills not only with cooking and preparing food but also in the understanding of methods and use of ingredients. Daniels strong passion for all elements of cooking have led him to developing garden and estate grown produce which reinforces his ethos of using only locally sourced produce and home grown ingredients for his dishes. Throughout Daniels career he has grown and developed businesses from small operations to successfully achieving Michelin BIB Gourmand status.
An admirable achiever, Daniel is the proud holder of various awards and accolades including Best Restaurant & Best Chef in Connacht, he also maintained 1 & 2 stars in Michelin properties. Daniel is a member of Good Food Ireland and Euro-Toque, who are a community of chefs, cooks & producers, preserving the culinary Irish heritage and Inspiring future professionals. His commitment to a property is undeniable, his enthusiasm and determination to drive his vision in order for it achieve the very best it can possibly achieve has been apparent throughout his career. The the whole team here at Kilronan Castle very much look forward to working with him, in particular The Douglas Hyde Restaurant team.
Follow Daniel, The Douglas Hyde Restaurant and his Journey with us at Kilronan Castle Estate & Spa – Watch this space.
