Donegal born and bred, Derek trained as a chef in Edinburgh before moving to the London area where he worked with some of the finest chefs in the country (among them Heston Blumenthal) in a number of Michelin starred kitchens including The Fat Duck, Chez Bruce, The Square and Putney Bridge. During his final year in London he worked with restaurateur Tom Etridge, heading up the kitchens and launching gastro pubs The Wells in Hampstead and The Ebury in Pimlico to critical acclaim. He was tipped as The Independent’s “Chef to Watch” in restaurant critic Terry Durack’s annual round up of the London restaurant scene in 2003.

 

He returned to Ireland in 2004 and joined Deanes Restaurant in Belfast as Head Chef where he stayed until March 2010. During these years, Deanes retained its Michelin star and was also awarded 4 AA rosettes, Best Ulster Restaurant 2007 (Food & Wine Magazine), Restaurant of the Year Ireland 2007 (Food & Wine Magazine), Restaurant of The Year 2007 (Georgina Campbell's Ireland Guide) and Best in Northern Ireland 2009 (National Restaurant of the Year Awards).

 

Derek recently represented Northern Ireland in BBC2’s fifth series of Great British Menu, aired in May 2010. He relished this year’s GBM challenge of creating dishes from ingredients sourced around a local National Trust property. Derek is currently enjoying a number of new projects. For the past few months, he has worked with the product development team at Linden Foods and Kettyle Irish meats to design new dishes for Marks & Spencer. He is also offering an exclusive catering service for small private parties.

Derek’s approach to cooking is modern and innovative with a strong commitment to local quality produce. Naturally calm and amicable, he is always keen to pass on his enthusiasm and passion for cooking. Simply put, he creates uncomplicated and straight forward food that excels in both presentation and taste, for everyone to enjoy.

To contact Derek, email jdcreagh@yahoo.co.uk