Award winning Michelin Star chef Michel Roux Jr cooks with GMIT students for local charity

Award-winning chef, food consultant and author Michel Roux Jr, Chef Patron at La Gavroche in London, and GMIT Culinary Arts students will cook and serve a charity dinner at Claregalway Castle on Friday, 15 April in aid of local charity Ability West. The team will be joined by Michel’s daughter, pastry chef Emily, and GMIT lecturers Noel Loughnane, Diarmuid O’Conghaile and Sinead O’Connor Lomas.

Breda Crehan-Roche, Chief Executive from Ability West, says “We are delighted to have Michel Roux Jr visit Galway to lead a fundraising charity dinner and auction in aid of Ability West. We are indebted to ‘Friends of Ability West’ for creating such a magnificent event. All proceeds from this event will be utilised to enable adults with intellectual disability to live as independently as possible in specially adapted apartments and take their rightful place in society.”

“We are very grateful to the GMIT lecturers and students for giving their time and skill to support this event. And to the many businesses, companies and individuals for so generously donating to this event and supporting Ability West.”

Michel Roux Jr says “This is the first time that I have cooked in the West of Ireland and I am delighted it is for the amazing charity, Ability West. It is heart-warming to see so many Irish companies and individuals throwing their support behind an event that can give increasing independence to people with intellectual disability in Galway”.

Cáit Noone, Head of the GMIT College of Tourism & Arts, says: “We are delighted to be able to assist a local organisation with a fund raising activity.  GMIT frequently engages with local community projects and this event is no different. We have a long-established and well-deserved reputation for excellence in culinary arts and our students are very much looking forward to working with Michel and Emily when they are in Galway next week. I would also like to thank the faculty in the College of Tourism and Arts who are outstanding professionals in this field and their constant dedication to students significantly supports the learning experience of all culinary students.”

The event takes place on Friday 15 April in Claregalway Castle and tickets can be purchased by emailing polly.nolan@gmail.com.

For more information on GMIT’s Culinary Arts programmes, visit: http://www.gmit.ie/college-tourism-and-arts/college-tourism-arts

For information on Ability West visit: http:///www.abilitywest.ie