Bringing the best of Irish to Chelsea
By Taylor Gleeson
From Old Bawn in Tallaght to Chelsea in London, Anna Haugh is taking the culinary world by storm.
The chef, originally from Old Bawn, just opened her first restaurant in London this May, providing modern European cuisine with an Irish influence, Myrtle Restaurant is the product of Anna’s dedication to her craft.
Anna Haugh outside her Myrtle Restaurant
Staying true to her Irish roots, not only does Anna’s food have an Irish influence, but she also gets the freshest produce from Ireland itself.
With almost 20 years of professional experience, Anna started cooking when she was young. “I’ve always loved cooking. From a young age around 12 I could make a full family roast from scratch to table. I just needed my mother to check the chicken was cooked.”
In her time as a chef, before she decided to open Myrtle, Anna worked with well-known chefs like Gordon Ramsay, Shane Osborne and Philip Howard.
“I’ve wanted to open my own restaurant since I was a commis,” Anna said of the opening of Myrtle. “It took a lot of planning and saving and finally, I’ve managed to do it. I’ve been planning it for about eight years, – but it only took two months from the day of getting the keys to opening the doors to the public.”
Anna admitted that there are difficulties when it comes to owning a restaurant, but she has loved every step of the way, especially with the help of her trusted staff, “I feel so lucky to have the guys I have working for me. The guests are all so excited for us and say the nicest things. It’s really been fantastic.”
Anna said that although her original plan was to have Myrtle in Ireland, she fell in love with a Londoner and decided to open the restaurant there. Anna said she would like to open a restaurant in Dublin eventually.
Anna recently participated in Guinness X Meatopia in Dublin from Friday, July 5 to Sunday, July 7. The event, which took place in the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, welcomed chefs from around the world to create delicious and unique dishes.
To learn more about Myrtle Restaurant, go to www.myrtlerestaurant.com.
