Blog Post

Our new chef Lionel Mestre turns food from 'ordinary to extraordinary'

  • By Kevin ODonoghue
  • 09 Mar, 2017

I was born in Marseille in 1968 and graduated as a Chef in Lycee Hotelier de Marseille in 1985.

I worked as a commis chef and chef de partie in PALM BEACH CASINO CANNES. I was working in the winter season also, in the most valuable skiing station in France ,Val d Isere, Courchevel as a chef de partie.

I went to London in 1991 to work in a French restaurant in Covent Garden called Estaminet and was sous chef until 1998. Then I was contacted by Trader Vics in November and I was employed as sous chef for 2 years in their restaurant in Hilton Park Lane.

From then I have been promoted as Executive chef in Bahrain and brought the restaurant from number 5 to number 1 in worldwide sales of 10 million dollars in 1 year only.

From this place I have travelled around Europe, I opened a restaurant in Berlin then Dubai Madinat, Hamburg then after that I went all over the US to open many restaurants as an executive chef, such as Atlanta, Seattle, San Francisco, Dallas, Scottsdale, Destin, Palo Alto.

In 2013, I became a chef for the French navy base by catering in Aby Dhabi. Then I was in charge in 2014 of the catering in Tripoli and Libya and worked also in Egypt from 2016 until December the same year.

Then recently I have been contacted by the Food Court Event Catering and began with this company in January 2017. The aim here is to bring the canteen in Musgrave Retail Partners at their Head Office on Tramore Road to the next level in terms of healthy eating and good tasting cuisine.


By Kevin ODonoghue 05 Apr, 2017
Quick video of our healthy menu options during National Wellbeing Day in our Dublin and Cork kitchens.
By Kevin ODonoghue 31 Mar, 2017
New research has found that employers that offer health and wellbeing initiatives for their employees are likely to fare better when it comes to productivity levels as well as staff recruitment and retention

This is according to a survey of over 1000 employees across the public and private sector which was commissioned to mark Ireland’s third National Workplace Wellbeing Day on Friday, 31st March 2017.

Hundreds of employers of all sizes are participating in the campaign which is organised by Food Drink Ireland and supported by Ibec, to help improve employee health by promoting better nutrition and exercise in the workplace.

And to mark the occasion, our kitchens in Cork and Dublin are both taking part. See our typical healthy menu options below.
By Kevin ODonoghue 03 Mar, 2017
We were delighted to be associated with an initiative organised by our client Musgraves for healthier eating awareness in the workplace this Thursday. According to a new national survey, employee well-being is crucial to staff retention and productivity levels. A survey of almost 1000 employees reported that seven in ten (69%) employees are more likely to stay longer with employers who show an interest in their health and well-being while half would consider leaving employers who don’t.
By Kevin ODonoghue 15 Dec, 2016

About our Employee Assistance Programme.

Sometimes it can be difficult to balance the demands of work with the needs of home life.

We recognise help is sometimes needed to deal with the challenges you may face in life, both practical and emotional.   Health Assured’s EAP’s   are a confidential life management and personal support service available to our employees and their immediate family members.

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