Patrick Guilbaud on bringing fine dining to Ireland, retirement plans, and not getting that third Michelin star
Patrick Guilbaud
, the French chef who brought fine dining to Ireland 44 years ago.
Situated beside the Merrion Hotel in central Dublin, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud continues to thrive with two Michelin stars.
Guilbaud moved to Ireland in the early 1980s when the country was in recession, and it wasn't always plain sailing. A visit from the sheriff for unpaid debts led to a partnership with successful businessmen Lochlann Quinn and Martin Naughton that helped put the restaurant on a sound financial footing. It also led him to relocate the restaurant to the Merrion Hotel site which was developed by Quinn and Naughton. A move that he considers to be the making of the business.
In February Guilbaud received the Distinguished Leader in Business award at the Irish Times Business Awards.
READ MORE
In this interview with host Ciarán Hancock he discusses those difficult early days of trading, changes in the Irish restaurant trade over the past four decades, the current challenges facing the sector in terms of cost, and his plans for retirement.
Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
41 minutes ago
- The Journal
Spotify is increasing its subscription prices again (but only for students)
SPOTIFY HAS ANNOUNCED that it will increase prices for student subscribers in Ireland on 1 September. The price hike is part of wider increases for users of the streaming service across Europe, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and the Asia-Pacific region. From next month, the price of a student subscription will go from €5.99 to €6.99 in Ireland. Spotify has several subscription options, such as a family plan and a 'duo' plan, but there'll be no changes made to these for Irish users. Advertisement Last year, the price of the Individual Premium subscription – Spotify's most popular plan – went from €10.99 to €11.99. The app is free to use, but a subscription eliminates ads and provides other features and content such as audiobooks. The price increase follows similar changes in the US and UK, which came into effect in May. Spotify has around 220 million premium subscribers worldwide. In 2024, the service made a net income of €1.138 billion – the first year it's made a profit since the company's founding in 2006. In the same year, it paid out €10 billion to artists. It had faced backlash for not paying artists more for streams and was accused of in the US unfairly cutting loyalty rates . However, in January a federal judge ruled that the move was supported by 'unambiguous' regulations. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Aldi Ireland fans rushing to buy game-changing item for keeping car clean in middle aisle – and it costs just €16.99
And the retailer's back to school range is set to hit stores this week CAR STAPLE Aldi Ireland fans rushing to buy game-changing item for keeping car clean in middle aisle – and it costs just €16.99 ALDI Ireland fans are rushing to buy a game-changing item for keeping their car clean in the middle aisle - and it costs just €16.99. The cordless car vacuum is available online and in stores nationwide this week. Advertisement 3 Aldi Ireland is set to release a car staple for a bargain price Credit: Alamy 3 The cordless car vacuum will hit stores this week Credit: Aldi Ireland 3 And you can even use it to clean around your house Credit: Aldi Ireland Designed to be lightweight and durable, this car vacuum is ideal for reaching awkward corners in your car or even around the house. And the bargain buy hits stores this Sunday on August 10. It reads on their website: 'Keep your car clean with this convenient Cordless Car Vacuum. 'Solves residual dust in the corners and crevices of your car or desk.' Advertisement The vacuum comes with three blowing accessories, which can also inflate things like air beds, pillows or swim rings. There's also a built-in LED light that helps spot dust and crumbs in tight spaces and in low light conditions. What's more, it features a transparent dust bucket that opens with a simple twist, so emptying it is mess-free. The bargain buy runs on a rechargeable battery with a Type-C charging port and includes a 1-metre cord. Advertisement Noise levels stay low while the vacuum runs, making it less disruptive than those from other retailers. It also includes a washable HEPA filter, designed to trap fine particles and be reused again. Aldi's Kitchen Revolution: Affordable Innovation The product is set to be a big hit so savvy shoppers must act fast. Meanwhile, Irish parents are set to rush to the tills in Aldi Ireland after school essentials have landed back on their shelves at bargain prices. Advertisement BACK TO SCHOOL RANGE The new collection will be available nationwide from August 7, offering stationery, learning tools lunch items and small tech accessories. Firstly, the Children's Learning Workbooks will be available for just €0.99. These activity books are designed to support core maths and literacy skills in children aged three years and up. Each book includes exercises and reward stickers to help motivate learning outside the classroom and are available in different versions ranging from 3+ to 9+ years. Advertisement Up next, Aldi's Stationery range will include bargain items starting at €1.49. This includes HB pencils, erasers, sharpeners, highlighters, sticky notes and retractable pens. There are also complete stationery sets containing pencils, a ruler, eraser, sharpener, highlighter and a zip-lock pencil case. More from the stationery collection includes the Document Wallets, starting at only €1.79. Advertisement Up next, the bargain supermarket is releasing learning Activity Sets priced at €3.49. Shoppers can choose from a pack of 18 activity cards, wipe-clean learning posters or themed placemats. Each is designed to support literacy and numeracy and cover various educational themes that are suitable for early primary school children.
Irish Independent
2 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Karl Deeter sells his business for €9m
Software Circle has bought about 95pc of Artificial Intelligence Finance Ltd (AIF), which supplies software to mortgage and insurance brokers. An initial payment of €4.3m has been made, with a further €0.67m to be paid on the first anniversary of completion, and the remaining €4m over the next two years based on reaching certain performance targets. Mr Deeter, a well-known mortgage broker and prominent contributor to Irish media on personal finance issues, owns about half the equity in AIF, which employs 23 people and has offices in Dublin and Ennis. He will continue to be part of the company's operations. Gavin Cockerill, the chief executive of Software Circle, which is listed on the AIM exchange in London, said the purchase fits his company's strategy of buying high-recurring specialist software businesses. The deal will mean that Software Circle's annual group revenue is expected to reach £22m. It is funding the purchase of Deeter's company out of existing cash reserves. AIF's online platform was first developed by Mr Deeter in 2006, when he saw a gap in the market while operating his own brokerage. He incorporated AIF in 2020, with start-up finance received from Enterprise Ireland and other sources. Shareholders include Tom Kennedy of Hostelworld, Paul McKeon of Propylon, Harry Largey of Commodore, Patrick Joy of Suretank and Austin Ryan of AMCS. The business accelerated its expansion following last year's acquisition of Money Advice, making it Ireland's dominant software supplier to mortgage and insurance brokers as well as lenders and life companies. The company offers a range of tools, such as OA Mortgage, OA Lender and OA Insurer, which it says integrate directly with life insurers and financial institutions. When it was put to him by the Irish Independent that to go from start-up to sale in just five years represents unusually swift progress, he said: 'Sometimes people do it quicker, but we have built a profitable business and that usually isn't done in that period of time.' Accounts for 2023 show AIF generated €2.2m in revenue, and it is understood there was a further growth in revenue last year. Software Circle said the valuation reflects expected annual earnings before interest and tax (EBIT), with the acquisition anticipated to be earnings-enhancing and cash-generative in its first year. Mr. Deeter said Software Circle's track record as a long-term software operator made it the right partner to take AIF to the next stage. 'This is about helping brokers become the number one delivery channel for digital financial services in Ireland,' he said. 'It's a vote of confidence in our team, our customers, and our vision.' He praised the support that AIF received from its initial investors and the state agency Enterprise Ireland. 'Our full team will remain in place, and for our customers it will be business as usual but with the added advantage of having a PLC owner who will help us deliver even more to our clients while moving us out of the 'start-up' space so we can tackle bigger opportunities.'
