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This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Seamus Commons, the award-winning chef behind La Fougère Restaurant at Knockranny House Hotel in Westport, County Mayo. A Mayo native, Seamus has established himself as one of the West of Ireland's most respected chefs, earning multiple Best Chef in Connacht awards and widespread recognition for his creative, technically accomplished cooking.     Gareth is the odd one out this week as Seamus and Gary recall their farming backgrounds and early learning in Killybegs. The lads have a good laugh on their shared experiences over the years and how Gareth once did a trial for Seamus early on in his career.     The guys discuss Seamus’ career and his return to Mayo from city living, how AI will impact the world of cooking, travelling to learn your craft and the competitive culture of kitchens. Each with their own experiences and unique perspectives, it’s a real insight to the world of being a chef in Ireland.    This week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week is presented by Gareth and is a venison casserole, a fitting dish for the time of year and Seamus’ expertise. The Culinary Conundrum looks at how to make kids get involved in the kitchen without making a mess.

This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Luca De Marzio, the Italian restaurateur and owner of Rosa Madre, one of Dublin's best-known Italian restaurants. Over 16 years, he has built Rosa Madre from a humble coffee haunt to a Dublin institution of Italian cuisine.   Luca talks about moving to Ireland to begin his hospitality career working at The Westbury Hotel, where he also met his wife Trish. He talks about the reality of running a restaurant in how no day is the same, running a business with your wife and how he champions some Irish produce whilst sticking to his Italian roots.  The lads discuss Luca’s passion for wine, fast cars and having fun. Luca also shares a cracking story about how he agreed to feed Dave Grohl while getting a tattoo, only to realise the restaurant wasn’t open! He’s a total wildcard but a great laugh.  This week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week is presented by Gareth and is a delicious Thai Chicken Curry. The Culinary Conundrum offers some great Christmas gift ideas for aspiring home chefs.

This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Tom Murray, one of Ireland's most recognisable food creators, popularly known as @bitta_banging. Tom has built a huge following on Instagram by making outrageous sandwiches and jaw dropping viral food content.    Tom shares the story of how he got into food, from studying business and reluctantly working in recruitment to Covid back garden popups and eventually finding his passion. He then recounts about moving to Paris for culinary school and finding himself thrown in the deep end - but relishing the opportunity.    The lads discuss the business of creating viral food content, coming up with ideas to captivate attention or dividing opinion to create chaos in comments sections. Never would you think a tomato in a sandwich could be so compelling!    Tom also shares about some of his recent adventures away from the camera from a worldwide popup tour to acting as a consultant for Moreso. He is truly a pioneer for a chef so early in his career still.     This week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week is presented by Gary and is a beautiful Mexican sweetcorn elotes. The Culinary Conundrum looks at how to master the art of timing a roast dinner at home.

This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Michelin Star recipient and Irish Restaurant Awards Chef of the Year in 2016, Danni Barry. Originally from County Down to a farming family, Danni talks through her career from  her first job in a local restaurant to going to catering college in Newry. From these humble roots she joined Simon Rogan's team at L'Enclume and became Head Chef at Rogan & Co before returning home to lead EIPIC in Belfast. Within 18 months, she earned a Michelin star, becoming only the second Irish woman ever to do so. Danni gives a unique insight into the unspoken bias and barriers women often face in kitchens and how she overcame these challenges. It’s an insightful conversation which the lads share their own perspectives and experiences of. They look at terms like “female chef” and weigh its pros and cons, diversity in judging panels and changes in the industry from days gone by. The Nespresso Dish of the Week is delicious Tarragon Rosti and the Culinary Conundrum clarifies how to cook the perfect scrambled eggs.

This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Alice Kelly, better known to millions of people online as From Scratch Baker. Alice started baking as a child before, at just 18, buying an old horsebox and transforming it into her own micro-bakery - documenting the entire process online and going viral almost overnight.    Alice shares how she overcame mental health challenges during school to finding her passion in not only baking, but sharing it online with others. She shares amazing insights on her meteoric rise to popularity and working with global brands from the start. Alice also touches on the challenges of her work as a result of online trolls and hate comments. Naturally, Gary offers some sage wisdom on the matter!   The guys have a great chat which brings age gaps, rivalries amongst chefs and divisive opinions on certain beloved flavours all to contention, but all in the name of fun.  The Nespresso Dish of the Week is offered by Gareth by way of a delicious brownie, and the Culinary Conundrum will save you from stir in sauces for a super easy alternative.

This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Declan Maxwell, one of the most respected front-of-house figures in Irish hospitality and currently restaurant manager at Spitalfields in Dublin. Declan discusses beginning his career in London before returning to Ireland where he became a central member of the team in Chapter One during their pursuit of a Michelin Star.   Declan shares some incredible stories from his time working throughout Dublin which brought him to Spitalfields where he won a Michelin Service Award – a rare occasion where he found himself truly speechless.  The lads discuss the unique and incomparable quality of Irish hospitality, for which Declan is a champion of. They also unpack changing trends in Irish food and drink culture as well as the growth of food tourism in Ireland.  To close, Declan shares an amazing story of attending Nico Ladenis’ funeral which celebrated some his most iconic dishes – a truly once in a lifetime experience during a difficult time.  This week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week is presented by Gary and is a mouth-watering recipe for a Cotoletta. The Culinary Conundrum looks at how to get the most out of an air fryer for home cooking which of course the lads have some great ideas for.

S8 EP2 Jet Setting to Dancing With The Stars with Kevin Dundon  This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Kevin Dundon, one of Ireland's best-known chefs, restaurateurs, authors and television personalities.   Kevin's talks through his career from early days in Canada to becoming Executive Chef at The Shelbourne. He also shares his journey of taking over Dunbrody Country House in Wexford, surviving the dark days of foot and mouth, global recession and covid outbreaks to establishing the Dunbrody Cookery School.   Kevin also shares some amazing stories about the world of “celebrity chefs” in the United States and the madness of his experience in that world. Finally, the lads lift the lid on his time in Dancing With The Stars and some of the hilarious mishaps he had along the way.  Gareth shares his recipe for a coz au vin as the Nespresso Dish of the Week, with a funny disagreement on the omission of mushrooms between the guys. To close, the Culinary Conundrum looks at how to make batch cooking more exciting.

This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Chef Ross Lewis, co-founder & co-owner of Two Michelin-starred Chapter One; as well as the proprietor of Osteria Lucio.     Ross talks through his agricultural background in Wales and early exposure to food which brought him to the kitchens of London where he cut his teeth.     The lads discuss the lengthy process of building an institution like Chapter One and how so many people forget the years of hard work it takes to build an “overnight success.” They also look at life after Chapter One and Ross’s subsequent involvement in Osteria Lucio.     Finally, we get an amazing insight to the experience of cooking for Queen Elizabeth on her trip to Dublin. The logistics and madness around such a momentous occasion – and a phone call afterwards that nobody could ever forget.     Gareth shares an easy but delicious recipe for a prawn spaghetti dish as the Nespresso Dish of the Week. To close, the Culinary Conundrum gets the lads thinking about some of their favourite restaurants in Dublin.

This Week on Dishing it Out, Gary and Gareth welcome JP McMahon, Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur, author and one of the most influential voices in Irish food. He is the owner and culinary director of Aniar, Galway's Michelin-starred restaurant, alongside Cava Bodega and other ventures.   JP talks about the process of fixing bad backs and getting fit to settling for early nights as his careers progresses. A Dublin native, JP gives amazing unique perspective on how he found a new home in Galway and its culture.   As the author of the award-winning The Irish Cookbook, JP shares how he found a passion for bringing food and literature together. He also gives some fascinating insights on the history of Irish culinary culture and how Italian 90 brought a new confidence to the country.  The lads lift the bonnet on Food on the Edge, JP’s international symposium that has brought many of the world's greatest chefs to Ireland, and realities of running such an event in Ireland.  Following a recent trip to Spain, Gareth shares his recipe for a tomato bruschetta as the Nespresso Dish of the Week. To close, the Culinary Conundrum shares some fantastic anecdotes about cooking on live TV.

This week on Dishing It Out, Gary and Gareth welcome Library Street’s head chef Kevin Burke back for a proper chat, after their first conversation was cut short by the small matter of him having to cook lunch for a room full of chefs. Kevin talks about his route through some serious kitchens, from Guilbo’s in Dublin to The Ninth in London, and how those experiences shaped the food he cooks now at Library Street. The lads dig into his love of pastry and lamination, the pressure of running a small but ambitious restaurant, building trust with a team, and why flavour, texture and proper technique still matter more than anything. There’s plenty of chat too about the realities of restaurant costs, staffing, writing menus and why the simplest dishes are often the hardest to get right. Plus, Kevin reveals his Death Row Dinner, with no less than three desserts! In this week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week, Gary shares his much-loved Guinness bread recipe. Then it’s over to your Culinary Conundrums, where the lads help a parent stuck in the “kids only eating pasta” phase with simple sauce ideas. Keep those questions coming to [email protected] .

This week on Dishing It Out, Gary and Gareth welcome chef and restaurateur Stephen McAllister of The Pig’s Ear and Spitalfields, and a familiar face from The Restaurant. Stephen shares stories from his early days in Dublin kitchens, from cucumber in the ratatouille to pasta machine panic, before opening his own restaurants and building a career around bold flavour, Irish ingredients and proper hospitality. The lads chat about running restaurants with his wife Andrea, reinventing The Pig’s Ear, the magic of Spitalfields, his beef with food critics, Michelin bibs, The Restaurant, and a very memorable Damien Dempsey birthday surprise. In this week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week, Gary makes buttery colcannon. Then it’s over to your Culinary Conundrums for barbecue tips. Keep those questions coming to [email protected] .

This week, Gary and Gareth welcome Kenneth Keavey of Green Earth Organics, the Galway-based organic farm delivering veggie boxes across Ireland. Kenneth talks about leaving a career in chemistry and pharmaceuticals to return to the family farm, why organic growing matters, and what it really takes to build healthy soil, rotate crops and grow food without relying on chemicals. The lads dig into everything from wonky veg and supermarket standards to why local food production needs more support, how climate change is making growing more unpredictable, and how to embrace seasonal eating while getting the best out of your veg at home. In this week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week, Gareth mixes things up with a summer sangria. Then it’s over to your Culinary Conundrums, where the lads answer a listener’s question about cooking oils. Keep those questions coming to [email protected] .

This week on Dishing It Out, Gary and Gareth welcome comedian Willa White to the studio for a chat that goes from belly laughs to brutally honest life stories and back again. Willa talks about how he first got in to stand-up, going from recovery meetings and prison to comedy workshops, Vicar Street, touring, and building a career without ever really planning to become a comedian. He opens up about his past, addiction, recovery, time in prison in Ireland and the UK, and how comedy became part of a very different life. Food-wise, there’s plenty to get stuck into too. Willa chats about prison food, working as a butcher, growing up on simple dinners, his love of pork chops, offal and chowder (as long as it's not more than a tenner!) In this week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week, Gareth guides you through how to properly pan-fry fish at home without fear. Then it’s over to your Culinary Conundrums, where the lads explain mise en place and what it actually means for home cooks. Keep those questions coming to [email protected] .

This week on Dishing It Out, Gary and Gareth welcome restaurant critic, food writer and all-round sharp palate Katy McGuinness to the studio. Katy lifts the lid on life as a restaurant critic, from how she chooses where to review and the notes she takes after a meal, to why the feeling of hospitality matters just as much as what’s on the plate. Katy also shares the responsibility that comes with criticism, what really annoys her when a restaurant feels like it’s trying to pull a fast one and her thoughts on the future of dining. Katy also opens up about her use of weight-loss injections and why restaurants might need to think more about protein, fibre and better vegetable-led dishes. In this week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week, Gareth fires up the barbecue with chermoula-style lamb cutlets, packed with smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic, lemon and herbs. Then it’s over to your Culinary Conundrums, where the lads answer a listener wondering how to get kids more involved in the kitchen, with tips on giving them little jobs, keeping it fun, and remembering that dinner doesn’t have to be perfect to be worth cooking together. Keep those questions coming to [email protected] .

This week on Dishing It Out, Gary and Gareth sit down with good friend Frankie Mallon, aka “Frankie Fish”, head chef and owner of An Port Mór. Frankie then takes us through the story of An Port Mór, a much-loved Westport institution. He talks about learning the hard way in tough kitchens, from Paul Rankin’s Michelin-starred Roscoff in Belfast to disciplined Swiss kitchens and manic Parisian bistros, and how those experiences shaped his classical, produce-led cooking today. The lads also dig into the realities of running a small restaurant from set menus to streamlining plates, hiring a pastry chef by accident, and finally making the numbers work after years of graft. There’s also plenty of reminiscing, from burnt duck confit disasters to unforgettable food trips in Lisbon, motorbike adventures through France and Spain, and Frankie’s classic dream final meal. In this week’s Nespresso Dish of the Week, Gareth brings you a Summer BBQ classic with sticky pork ribs. Then it’s over to your Culinary Conundrums, where the lads answer a listener looking to buy better meat, with tips on what to ask your butcher, when supermarket meat is absolutely worth buying, and why good ingredients will always make better food. Keep those questions coming to [email protected].