‘The Michelin star has put us on an international level’

WITHIN two hours of being awarded a Michelin star, a Tallaght chef’s city centre restaurant had received more than 1,000 enquiries from diners hungry to taste the modern Irish cuisine on offer.

Overlooking St Stephen’s Green, fine dining restaurant Glovers Alley, led by Andy McFadden, was awarded its first Michelin star in late February.

Andy, who grew up in Aylesbury, is no stranger to Michelin, when at the age of 25 he was hailed as London’s youngest Michelin-starred chef when he took over the reins of L’Autre Pied.

Now 36, Andy has netted a much-coveted Michelin star for his Dublin restaurant Glovers Alley, which he opened in 2018.

A former culinary graduate of TU Dublin Tallaght, then IT Tallaght, Andy spoke to The Echo only days after receiving a Michelin star for Glovers Alley.

“It’s amazing,” he said.

“It’s literally been blood, sweat and tears for the last four years.

“There’s been lots of work and it’s everything we wanted.

“The Michelin star has put us on an international level, we’re all on cloud nine.”

The constant background bustle of a busy kitchen during a phone interview with Andy is a telling sign that the talented chef is a grafter and 100 per cent immersed in his work.

“We strive every day to reach a high level,” Andy said.

“I come in and work with the young staff, I still make the bread every morning, I’m here all of the time and I love it.

“I try to set an example, show them the right way of working… we have a really hungry team here.

“I don’t know any different.

“[Working in a kitchen was] my first job when I was 14… and I thought yeah, this is what I want to be doing.”

Describing his time in IT Tallaght as “one of the best experiences” of his life, Andy encouraged young chefs starting out to work hard.

“Find a good kitchen and a good chef that you want to work for and put your head down and work hard and try and learn as much as possible,” he said.

Glovers Alley has a kitchen and front of house team of 34 people, who, according to Andy, is constantly trying to improve the overall experience for diners.

Proud of the restaurant team and each member’s work in securing a Michelin star, Andy also spoke of the important relationship with guests, and delivering value for money in a high-end restaurant.

“I love meeting our guests after service… and our customers are over-the-moon for us, and they’ve all been congratulating us, it’s class,” he said.

A former pupil of Scoil Maelruain and Firhouse Community College, Andy’s passion for food started in his Tallaght home.

When asked who influenced him as a youngster, Andy, said: “Family; my mom, dad and uncle.

“They were chefs too [and] I got my first job as a kitchen porter at 14 with my uncle.”

Over the years, Andy has crafted his own, distinct style that he describes as “quite visual, quite natural” modern Irish cuisine.

Andy predominantly uses Irish produce, such as Kilkeel crab, Wicklow Bán cheese, Comeragh Mountain lamb and Dublin honey, to create contemporary, seasonal food offered across six menus.

Excited about the future, Andy, who has no intention of sitting back on his Michelin star, said: “We need to be as good as all the other Michelin stars in Dublin and around Ireland.

“We will keep trying to improve and get better.”

Learn more about Andy McFadden’s restaurant on the Govers Alley website HERE.