‘Promethea' review: French chiller throws too much into the pot, yet still entertains
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Irish Independent
14 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘Promethea' review: French chiller throws too much into the pot, yet still entertains
Ten years ago, CNN compiled a list of the things the French do better than anyone else. It included cheese, bread, museums, shopping, trains, fashion, customer service and sexiness.
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Replacement chef announced for Michelin two-starred Terre in Castlemartyr
The owners of Castlemartyr Resort have responded rapidly to the recent shock announcement revealed exclusively in the Irish Examiner that chef Vincent Crepel was stepping down. Lewis Barker has been confirmed as the new executive head chef/patron of the luxury East Cork hotel's Michelin two-starred in-house Terre restaurant. Barker, originally from Leeds, in England, will relocate from Singapore, where he was executive head chef at Sommer for four years and was the youngest chef in Singapore to gain a Michelin Star, just six months after taking over the restaurant — as Crepel did at Terre, gaining a second star the following year. Barker will assume the reins in Terre when Crepel steps down at the end of September. Barker, who will take over in October, said: I am excited at the challenge of leading Terre into the future and being situated in such a beautiful part of the world. 'My aim is to continue to preserve the ethos of Terre, and I look forward to building on that foundation alongside the talented team at Terre with a cuisine that celebrates Ireland's incredible produce and culinary heritage.' In addition to his time at Sommer, which is now closed permanently, Barker's career has also seen him gain experience in some of the world's most acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurants, including Sommer, Vianney Massot, The Kitchen at Bacchanalia, and Cure in Singapore. And it would appear the owners of Castlemartyr Resort, Dr Stanley Quek and Peng Loh, approached his hiring with the very clear desire to maintain the standards and culinary sensibility that Crepel established in Terre. Barker's own style reflects that of his soon-to-be predecessor, classically rooted in French technique yet also influenced by the fusion flavours and cooking experienced during his time in Asia. Outgoing executive hea chef Vincent Crepel, who led Terre to two Michelin stars General manager at Castlemartyr Resort, Brendan Comerford, said: 'We are delighted to welcome Lewis Barker to Terre. In Singapore, he is very well known for his innovation, precision, and artistry and we know he will bring his signature flair to Terre. His creativity will be underpinned by a deep respect for sourcing the finest, freshest ingredients. We are excited to see how Lewis leads the team at Terre as we embark on this exciting new chapter.' Other than ensuring a smooth takeover of the Terre kitchen while establishing his own template for the restaurant, Barker's immediate challenge will most likely be to ensure Terre retains its two Michelin Stars, which was the publicly announced target for the hotel's owners when Crepel first arrived in 2022. Castlemartyr Resort was bought in 2021 for €20 million by Dr Stanley Quek and Peng Loh, who have an international hospitality portfolio including hotels and Michelin-starred restaurants in Australia, Singapore, China, Britain and Ireland. They bought Castlemartyr Resort in 2012 for €20m, spending a further €8m on upgrades, including the creation of Terre, in the estate's 17th-century manor home. Their portfolio also includes Sheen Falls Lodge, in Kenmare, Dublin's Trinity Townhouse Hotel, and Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort in Co Wicklow.
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Irish Examiner
Work starts on Celtic Interconnector as ship arrives in Cork to lay underwater cable
Work laying the underwater cable for the first electricity interconnector between Ireland and mainland Europe has begun. It marks a major milestone in the huge €1bn Celtic Interconnector scheme to link the electricity grids of the two countries. A specialist marine vessel, Calypso, arrived from Norway into the Port of Cork this week, with a huge cable spool on its deck, to begin laying an 84km section of the estimated 500km of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable required to link the coast of East Cork and Brittany in northern France. While Ireland and France both use high voltage alternative current (HVAC) technology to move electricity around their networks and supply consumers, HVDC technology is best for moving electricity over long distances. The crew of the Calypso will lay HVDC cable on the seabed but it will be buried by two other vessels. The work is weather sensitive and is being done in summer to maximise the best weather conditions. Marine survey teams have already mapped the seabed to chart the best route for the cable, and EirGrid said it is liaising with local fisheries and marine users throughout the work. Some of the 84km of high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable on board the vessel. Once fully installed, the entire 575km Celtic Interconnector will run from East Cork to the north-west of Brittany and will allow for the exchange of 700MW of electricity - enough to power some 450,000 homes. On the Irish side, the cable will make landfall at Youghal, where work has been underway at Claycastle Beach in recent weeks to prepare its landing point. The project has also involved extensive cable installation work along roadsides and through fields across East Cork to transfer the electricity from the landing point at Youghal to a massive new convertor station which has been built at Ballyadam, near Carrigtwohill, where internal fitout is continuing, and onwards to a grid connection point in Knockraha. The convertor building will convert the HVDC electricity arriving from France to HVAC for use in the Irish network, and vice versa for the power that may be exported from Ireland to France. Similar onshore work is ongoing in Brittany. The Celtic Interconnector project is being developed by EirGrid, which operates and develops Ireland's electricity grid, and its French equivalent, Réseau de Transport d'Electricité (RTÉ), and is being co-funded by the EU Connecting Europe Fund. Some of the staff from EirGrid and the crew from the specialist marine vessel, Calypso. EirGrid's chief financial officer, Michael Behan, said the start of this crucial phase of the project really shows the progress being made on what is a key energy project for Ireland. 'This feat of engineering that will take place over the coming weeks is testament to the collaboration, innovation and care required to deliver this critical infrastructure,' he said. 'We remain grateful for the continued patience and support of communities, landowners, and stakeholders as we progress this project.' It is estimated that construction of the entire project will be complete by 2028, a delay on original timelines which EirGrid has blamed partly on weather conditions at times.
