Final Days In Belfast - Ben Roche

Final Days in Belfast

 

As my final days here in Belfast draw to a close, I want to use this final blog post to discuss the time I spent here in Belfast and how much I enjoyed working as part of the kitchen team at the Grand Central Hotel. I arrived here the 26^th of September, part of me was nervous, but I was also full of excitement. I was looking forward to working as part of a progressive and creative team as well as developing my skills as a chef. I found myself working mostly as part of the team in the Grand Café. After a swift introduction to the starter section, I was quickly trained in on the garnish section; a fast-paced section, responsible for garnishes and sides for the main course dishes, and for cooking the hot starters.

 

While here I learned many new recipes and great techniques. From making the most delicious and smooth pepper sauce to coming up with ideas for specials during the week I both enhanced my cheffing skills and became more creative in my work. My attention to detail and ability to season dishes has also developed rapidly while I have been here.

 

We enjoyed a quiet period between late October and early November. The Belfast Christmas markets began on November 19^th – and we knew all about it. We found ourselves with all hands-on deck, busy all day, every day. During my time off here however, I enjoyed exploring what Belfast had to offer. I tried a lot of coffee shops around the city, and I think my recommendation for the best cup of coffee around would have to be Napoleon coffee, just minutes away from the hotel. I dined at many different establishments around the city such as Deane’s Eipic and while I walked around the city on my day-to-day excursions, I gained a more in-depth knowledge of Belfast’s and indeed, Northern Ireland’s history.

 

I also went further afield, taking a Paddy wagon bus tour to the Giant’s Causeway, which included a number of other stop offs. If I were to offer anyone advice on where to go for their placement, I would certainly recommend Belfast and the Grand Central Hotel. So far, myself and multiple other SETU students have gotten on extremely well here working with Chef Damian Tumilty and the rest of the team. I would certainly consider coming back to work here in the future.