Niamh attended the Ballymaloe Cookery School 12 Week Certificate Course in January 2008. She now runs her own food consultancy based in Dublin.
Niamh is a natural food chef and food stylist with a love of real food, grown and cooked simply. She trained as a Nutritional Therapist at The Irish Institute of Nutrition & Health, gaining an in depth knowledge of food and how it effects our health. Niamh's recipes are a reflection of these experiences, inspired by nature and the seasonality food. Her food highlights the beauty of natural foods and aims to nourish the mind and body.
We chatted with Niamh and she told us a little about her business.
What are you up to?
I am working as a food stylist. which means that I cook and style food for photo shoots & video. What I love about my line of work is the variety it affords me. One day I might be styling a cookbook in a studio & the next I might be outdoors styling a magazine shoot. I also create recipes with the emphasis on using real, whole food ingredients which is influenced by both my nutritional therapy background & my time at Ballymaloe.
What do you remember most about doing the 12 Week Certificate Course?
What I liked the most about the course is that you are fully immersed in life on an organic farm. From feeding the hens the scraps from the kitchen to milking the cows or picking the herbs & leaves for the giant salad bowl that everyone eats at lunch time.
Any advice to anyone doing the course now or thinking of doing it?
I would say that the course will give you an amazing grounding in all the technical skills you will need to work in a professional kitchen or to start your own food business. It will also provide you with the best ethos from day 1, that 'good food comes from good soil' & always using the best ingredients you can in order to get the best flavour & nourishment from your dishes.
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