Darina Allen, a well-known chef and author of 19 cookbooks and presenter of 8 series of ‘Simply Delicious’
Co-founder of the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in the midst of a 100-acre organic farm in East Cork in Ireland. Students come from all over the world to hone their culinary skills at this sustainable, farm-to-table project, est. in 1983. The family hotel, Ballymaloe House has been the recipient of numerous awards for its seasonal, local and home-grown food and hospitality.
Some of Darina’s awards include:
March 2020 – One Pot Feeds All won a 2020 World Gourmand Cookbook Award in the Cooking School/Education Section
September 2019 – Garden Café Food Truck awarded the Georgina Campbell Irish Food & Hospitality Awards 2020 – Street Food of the Year
May 2018 – Grow, Cook, Nourish won the 2018 Gourmand World Cookbook Award
May 2018 – Darina received an Honorary Fellowship of the Dublin Gastronomy Symposium (DIT) in recognition of a lifetime’s dedication and work promoting Irish gastronomy, food history and culture.
Guaranteed Irish?Food?Hero?Award 2018
November 2014, ‘Outstanding Achievement in Business Award’ by the Cork Chamber of Commerce
February 2014, Darina won the ‘Best Professional Author & Chef’ category of the WORLD GOURMANDS for the UK for ’30 Years at Ballymaloe’
May 2013, Darina won The Guild of Food Writers (UK) top accolade, the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, for her incalculable contribution to culinary education.
She holds many positions in leading food organisations including:
- Chair of Artisan Food Forum of Food Safety Authority of Ireland
- Trustee of Irish Organic Centre
- Patron of Irish Seed Savers
- Member of Eurotoques (European Association of Chefs
- Member of the Guild of Food Writers in UK and Ireland
- Member of IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals).