Danni Barry says she is "very excited" to join Killinchy’s Balloo House as head chef
Winner of Ireland’s Chef of the Year 2017 Danni Barry will be the new head chef at Balloo House in Killinchy, as the venue is set to undergo a £150,000 refurbishment
The chef told the Staff Canteen that she is very excited to join Balloo House, 'a pub that's rooted in the heart of the community'.
The former Great British Menu contestant says her menu will feature 'proper pub classics, like suet pudding', made using local, seasonal produce.
Owners Ronan and Jennie Sweeney approached the chef several months ago, mentioning their plans to do up the restaurant, which sits above a busy pub.
Danni explained the relaunch is planned for the summer, hopefully as early as May.
"It's very exciting because there's a lot of potential here and it's a great time for me to come on board and be part of it from the beginning.
"It's nice to have a role now and get my teeth stuck into something again."
Danni Barry held a Michelin star for three years at Michael Deane’s EIPIC held before joining Stevie and Cristina Higginson to relaunch Co Antrim in October 2017.
But the chef didn’t take to running the business as much as she loves to cook, she told The Belfast Times, prompting her to leave Co Antrim in September 2018.
Since then, she said, she’s been helping out and filling in at restaurants while she looked for a permanent fixture.
“You don't really find yourself idle when you're a chef," she joked.
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