Craft Guild vice president David Mulcahy receives Cateys Outstanding Contribution Award
He was presented with the accolade at the special awards ceremony held at London’s Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel on October 11.
As organiser of the National Chef of the Year, the competition aspiring UK chefs want to win, and founder of Young National Chef of the Year, Mulcahy was hailed “one of the industry’s most committed chef champions of craft and people development”.
“David is tireless in his dedication to the pursuit of excellence within the realms of his extremely demanding day job, but this passion goes above and beyond the so-called nine-to-five and stretches across the wider hospitality industry too,” said the awards organisers.
“Described by his peers as a definite ‘people person’, David has devoted a remarkable amount of his free time over the last 25 years to supporting and inspiring his peers both old and new, while seeking out and nurturing the next generation of culinary talent that the UK has to offer.”
Mars Foodservice’s Sarah Gray said: “We are huge supporters of the people behind the scenes in foodservice, and David is a true chef champion that goes all out to use his vast experience to make the industry the best it can be. We are delighted to have been able to present this award to someone that thoroughly deserves this recognition.”
Originally educated and trained in Ireland, Mulcahy further developed his skills and experience in hotels and restaurants in the UK. At Sodexo UK & Ireland he is responsible for the culinary development and craft training strategy of employees.
Widely recognised as co-ordinator of many of the UK’s leading competitions and culinary events and credited with supporting initiatives for the advancement of the culinary arts, he is co-chairman of Springboard’s FutureChef, chairing the Wider Programme committee, and is a respected mentor to students and colleges at many different levels.
As an executive chef, he gained experience directly delivering high quality services in a range of catering environments, from fine dining to major contract facilities with multiple outlets.