Shane’s love of culinary arts started at a young age and he was inspired by his two grandmothers and mum who were all avid home bakers. At the age of 16, he began his first job as a Commis Chef at a local hotel, where his love of cooking was cemented. The aspiring chef began his formal training at Killybeg’s Tourism College in Donegal, and went on to graduate with a Degree in Culinary Arts, specialising in Pastry, from Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology.
Shane considers himself very lucky to have spent the past two decades in a career that fulfills him on a daily basis, experimenting with seasonal ingredients and methods, developing new recipes and pushing his creativity to produce exquisite pastries that are sculptural, beautiful and delicious. Today his culinary repertoire and technical skills are second to none and Shane is passionate about passing on his knowledge to the next generation of Pastry Chefs.
Over the years Shane has received numerous awards in recognition for his work, including “Best Bakery Manager in Ireland” and “Top 10 Pastry chefs in Ireland” by Food & Wine magazine. Shane was also the first ever pastry guest editor for Easy Food Magazine in August 2018. He can also be found cooking up a storm at some of Ireland’s most prestigious food festivals.
He is a regular contributor to The Irish Times, The Irish Independent, Food & Wine magazine and other national publications. He also writes a monthly baking column for the Anglo Celt newspaper in his hometown of County Cavan. Shane holds regular cookery segments on RTÉ & Virgin Media Ireland where he can be seen bringing his natural flare and love for all things sweet to the nation’s homes.