Executive Chef for Beannchor Ltd (owners of The Merchant Hotel, The Cloth Ear, Ollie's Club and over 30 leased bar, pubs etc throughout the province).

Born in Australia in 1972, Tony's family returned home to Belfast where Tony spent his formative years. He met and married local girl Andrea. The couple moved back to Australia where Tony began his culinary career.

He worked in many restaurants throughout Australia, working his way through the ranks and gained a formidable quantity of experience. Places of work included the renowned La Grillade, where he worked as a junior chef and The Grape Escape – an improbably named but extremely highly regarded restaurant offering modern Australian cuisine.

Tony subsequently held the position of Sous Chef in Jardines, the fine dining restaurant in The Cairns Colonial Club. Having satisfied the desire to visit and experience the country of his birth, Tony decided to return to Belfast, keen to carve his niche on this city on the move. Tony achieved his first head chef role in the award winning Waterfront Hall in Belfast, taking on the challenge of catering for thousands of event goers every day.

He then moved from one extreme to the other, taking up the position of head chef in locally renowned restaurant Beatrice Kennedy's. This charming Queen's quarter eatery is one of Belfast's best kept secrets, loved by locals and those from farther a field who were/are fortunate enough to discover its discreet environs. Emphasis is on excellent food, created with the best of local produce, to be enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere.

He joined Bill Wolsey's team in 2004 with the opening of restaurant and bar Pretty Mary's, in Moira. From here he over-saw all the food operations of Bills pubs, bars and restaurants (a portfolio of 20+). The Merchant Hotel was always the dream! This challenging project, with a restaurant situated both metaphorically and literally in the heart of the project was somewhere Tony could really put his mark on the Belfast dining scene. The food in The Great Room Restaurant is inspired by the classics, yet allows the excellence of each individual ingredient to shine through. One can taste the subtle flavours of each component, each element complimenting one another perfectly. Tony wanted to showcase food as it should be, using the best of local produce (our beef is sourced from a small farmer in Co. Fermanagh, the venison from Finnebrogue Venison in Downpatrick - also used in world famous restaurants such as the Fat Duck in London) and present it with a modern twist. Favourites include Beef Wellington and Lobster Thermidore and for vegetarians the Wild Mushroom Ravioli is not to be missed.