Conrad Gallagher


Conrad Gallagher is an Irish-born chef/restaurateur from Letterkenny, County Donegal, based in Dubai since 2016. He was the youngest chef ever awarded a Michelin star at the time, for Peacock Alley in Dublin, at the age of 26 in 1998. In a career that has attracted both accolades and controversy, Gallagher has owned restaurants in Dublin, New York, London, Las Vegas and Cape Town. He has featured in two reality television series – Conrad’s Kitchen: Access All Areas on BBC Food in 2005 and Head Chef on Irish national broadcaster RTÉ's TV3 in 2011. He has been based in Dubai since 2016, where he opened restaurant consultancy Food Concepts 360 in 2018. Gallagher also owns chef recruitment agency The Chefs Connection and opened The Chefs Playground in Johannesburg, South Africa, in April 2020 as a culinary training centre and specialist shop for chefs’ apparel and equipment.

Early life

Gallagher was raised in Hawthorn Heights, Letterkenny, Donegal, where he was educated at Scoil Colmcille and St Eunan's College. In his autobiography "Back on the Menu: My Rollercoaster Life" he revealed how the kitchen was home to him as a child and how he disliked school because of the abuse he received at both institutions.
During his time in St Eunan's College, he joined a punk band, "Kakistocracy". Inspired by the cooking of his mother and his grandmother, he left St Eunan's at the age of 16 and began training as a chef at Killybegs Catering College. Following his formal training and subsequent work with some of Ireland's top chefs to further hone his skills, Gallagher went on to win four gold medals at Hotel Olympia and the prestigious title of Chef Ireland.

Career

While he was offered career launching positions in Ireland, he determined he should go to New York City to further pursue his dream of becoming a world class chef. In New York, he joined the Plaza Hotel. The Waldorf Astoria's Peacock Alley later recruited him where he spent two years as sous chef under Laurent Manrique. While living in New York he went on to work in Restaurant Daniel and Le Cirque. On Saint Patrick's Day 1996, Gallagher cooked for President Bill Clinton and his guests at the White House.
Gallagher and his brother Keith ran the Metropolitan Bar and Restaurant in their native Letterkenny.

Peacock Alley

Gallagher came to fame with his restaurant Peacock Alley, first in Baggot Street, later on St Stephen's Green. For his work in the kitchen there he was awarded a Michelin star between 1998 and 2002.

New York

He left Ireland to return to New York City, where he married an American citizen and opened a bar, Traffic, at First Avenue and 50th Street in Manhattan. He was accused in Dublin of stealing three paintings, worth €11,000 from Dublin's Fitzwilliam Hotel. The original contract was furnished stating Gallagher owned the three paintings and the jury returned a 'not guilty' verdict less than two hours after it started deliberations. In his autobiography, Gallagher describes the proceedings as "a bit of a circus" with days that were "long and painful."

South Africa

Whilst living in South Africa, Gallagher consulted for Sun International Group where he was appointed Group Executive Chef in 2004. He operated Geisha Wok and Noodle Bar in Cape Town, where he occasionally hosted live cooking classes. Geisha Wok and Noodle Bar stopped trading in August 2009 when Gallagher decided to move back to Ireland and open Salon Des Saveurs. He was declared bankrupt in South Africa in August 2009 following an application by two companies seeking payment of debts. Two properties and his home's contents were auctioned off to part-pay debts of about €200,000 to a bank and supplier.

Dublin

After planning to return to Ireland during Summer 2009 to open a new Irish restaurant, Gallagher and his second wife, former Miss Port Elizabeth finalist Candice Coetzee and their two sons moved to Dublin. His latest restaurant is called "Salon Des Saveurs". His initial return as director of Boutique Restaurants Concepts Ltd. went sour as it is illegal to be a company director in Ireland while considered bankrupt, in or outside Ireland.
According to the Irish Independent, Gallagher ran three restaurants in July 2011: "Salon Des Saveurs" and "The Dining Room With Conrad Gallagher" in Dublin and "Conrad's Kitchen" in Sligo. "Salon Des Saveurs" and "Conrad's Kitchen" are run by Boutique Restaurants Concepts Ltd. and Super Potato Limited. Revenue Commissioners are trying to wind up these two companies.
Gallagher starred in the Head Chef TV shows for TV3 Ireland, where he developed a cooking contest reality show, before moving back to the United States in 2011.

Las Vegas

In April 2013, Gallagher opened PoshBurger Bistro, a gourmet burger restaurant, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The restaurant could not get a liquor license and closed after three months.

California

In October 2013, Ways & Means Oysters in Orange hired Gallagher as a consulting executive chef to develop the menu for its location in Old Towne Orange. He left January 2014 to launch Vanity Catering and Events based in Costa Mesa. He serves as owner and executive chef.

Cape Town, South Africa

Gallagher and his family returned to Cape Town to open and operate Cafe Chic. Later on he opened Gallagher's Restaurant in Cape Town and that also appears to have closed down as of July 2016.

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Gallagher then decamped to Port Elizabeth where Conrad opened a restaurant named Gallaghers on Stanley aka Gallaghers on Stanley Street in July 2016. By November 2016 Gallaghers on Stanley was also offering cooking classes and selling vouchers for cookery classes in December. The Twitter account for Gallaghers on Stanley aka Gallaghers on Stanley Street was opened in May 2016, prior to the closure of Gallagher's Restaurant in Cape Town.

Qatar

Gallagher joined Aura Hospitality & Food Services in December 2016 as Corporate Chef and Culinary Director and was promoted to Managing Director in 2018.
In 2019, Gallagher became CEO of Food Concepts 360, an international food and hospitality company with over 500 employees and outlets covering the Middle East and Africa in addition to Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Health

Gallagher has won two battles with cancer. First testicular cancer and in 2003 "a more serious form", about which he has declined to go into detail.

Publications