Interview
Shaking things up After transforming the menus at the Rotunda last year, Joyce Timmins has moved onto a new challenge
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ast summer, a video posted on social media of lunch being served to patients at the Rotunda Maternity Hospital went viral. Surprisingly, the video’s popularity wasn’t down to the poor quality of the food but how good it looked. The Chef responsible for the meal being served that day was Joyce Timmins, the then Executive Chef at the Rotunda. “To be honest, I just thought I was doing normal food. Cooking everything fresh on the day makes sense to me whereas cooking meat, slicing it and then reheating it is much harder than just putting a joint of beef into the oven when you actually need it. It’s a no-brainer,” said Joyce. It might be a no-brainer but it’s not standard practice in Irish hospitals. Coming from Michelin-starred restaurants like Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire and Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud in Dublin, Joyce brought an entirely different perspective to how food is prepared and served in HSE facilities, challenging the ingrained, almost impossible to shift food culture. A stint in the kitchens at Mosney Holiday Centre kickstarted Joyce’s passion for cooking. She completed her 7061 and 7062 in Cathal Brugha Street and went on to do a stage in Le Manoir. After working in Patrick Guilbaud’s, she joined the pastry kitchen in the Merrion Hotel which was followed by a Head Pastry Chef role in the Killarney Park Hotel and a
CATERING REVIEW | ISSUE 1 2020
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