Keira began working in kitchens at 15, starting in a restaurant with a walled garden and beehives, where she spun honey and worked alongside chef Damien. When he opened The Banks, Keira joined him, gaining experience across multiple sections.

Instead of attending catering college, Keira applied to the Simon Rogan Academy and was accepted. After a year and a half at The Banks, she moved from Ireland to the Lake District, beginning her apprenticeship at Rogan & Co. She later worked at Henrock and L’Enclume, and now, having completed her apprenticeship, she’s back at Henrock, where the team is striving for a Michelin star under head chef, Mark McCabe.

Henrock has a very strong ethos on sustainability and seasonality, which is something that has become very important to Keira and something she hopes shines through in her dishes.

Culinary inspiration

Growing up on a sheep farm where her family grew their own vegetables, Keira was always cooking with her mum. She found it fascinating that incredible ingredients could come from just outside her front door, a philosophy she still follows today.

Long-term goals

Keira’s long-term goal in the culinary world is to have her own restaurant and bakery with her partner Dylan, where they would have a focus on locality and sustainability. In the meantime, she would like to work in a variety of restaurants and bakeries and for chefs that inspire her. Competing in competitions is something she would like to continue doing in the long term, as she feels they encourage creativity and development.

Loving her job

Keira’s favourite thing about being a chef is seeing amazing produce being turned into incredible plates of food. She feels lucky that she knows how much time and effort it takes to rear an animal for butchery or to grow an incredible vegetable like the ones they are lucky enough to receive at Henrock from ‘Our Farm’.

Becoming a finalist

Keira was so happy when she found out she was a Young National Chef of the Year finalist again. She felt like all her hard work on her entry had paid off. She felt very excited to have been given such a great opportunity to push herself within the hospitality industry and compete against some of the best young chefs in the country.

This year’s brief

Keira found this year’s brief both challenging and exciting, with a diverse range of proteins that encouraged creative thinking. Her dishes celebrate farm-to-fork cooking, using seasonal, foraged, and preserved ingredients from both Donegal and the Lake District.

Role models

Keira’s executive head chef, Paul, is definitely one of her biggest role models. He has won 3 Michelin stars in two different countries, and his knowledge of food and flavour is amazing. Her head chef, Mark McCabe, has had a huge influence on who she is as a chef. He introduced her to foraging and preserving as well as a more sustainable way of cheffing. Dan Cox is also a big role model of hers, as she admires his incredible passion for food and farming. Kadeau and Noma in Copenhagen are hugely influential restaurants to Keira, particularly in the way they preserve and forage for ingredients. Richard Hart is someone else she has been inspired by for his approach to baking and bread making.

Staying motivated

Keira is very lucky that she works in a restaurant where the menu changes regularly and chefs rotate around each section. She has had the opportunity to learn a variety of skills and gain knowledge in different areas. To stay motivated, she likes to set herself tasks outside of work, whether it be learning how to make sourdough, understand more about foraging, or doing competitions like YNCOTY. She feels having goals helps keep her motivation up and encourages learning outside of the everyday work in the kitchen. She also feels very privileged to work alongside great chefs who she aspires to be like and learns a lot from.

An amazing achievement

Winning would be one of the most important things to happen in Keira’s career so far. It would be amazing to have her dishes be thought of so highly by the judges. It would make her family and friends very proud and happy to see that she is working hard to improve her skillset, having left home to better herself in her career. To win YNCOTY against this year’s tough competition would really be a huge moment for her as a young chef.

Sourdough and sandwiches

Keira’s favourite thing to cook outside of work is probably sourdough and sandwiches. She is very lucky to live in the Lake District, so to make some sandwiches and head out on a walk is a perfect day off.

Taking advice

The best piece of advice Keira has received so far in her career is: “It’s ok to fail at things. The important thing about failure is to appreciate its importance in pursuit of success.”