The country's 10th – and island's 12th – Michelin starred restaurant is the product of cross-continent collaboration and fast-paced culinary creativity.
Chef Damien Grey, originally from Goulburn, Australia, and his front of house partner Andrew Heron met while Heron was working his way across the continent. The pair brought their 30 years of collective hospitality experience and vision back to Heron's native Dublin, opening Heron and Grey in December.
When they took over the tiny establishment in Blackrock Market, formerly known as The Canteen, Heron and Grey had a clear vision.
Serving out of a small kitchen to a windowless room that seats just 24 people, creates an intimate, collective dining experience that opens a backdoor into the world of fine dining, Heron says.
“In a restaurant that seats 24 people, where 12 people come together at 7.30pm and another 12 follow in at 8.30pm, everyone gets to understand what we’re trying to do,” Heron said from London, where the award ceremony took place on Monday. “When you go out to spend money that you’ve worked really hard to earn, you want to have a good time rather than just a good meal.”
After years of working 80 to 100 hour weeks in kitchens and dining rooms around the world, he and Grey wanted to enjoy life outside of work, Heron added. Their collaboration allows both chef and front of house manager to see their families more regularly while still indulging in exciting creativity. The menu moves fast, changing every fortnight, Heron said, but the kitchen is only open for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
For Heron and Grey, who have both been in the hospitality industry their whole lives, winning a Michelin star within their first year of operation was a shock, but not an impossible dream come true.
“It was definitely a massive surprise this year, but it wasn’t something we didn’t think we could achieve,” Heron said. “I have full confidence and respect for my business partner, in his abilities as a chef. When I met him I knew very quickly the standard that Damien was and this is a massive acknowledgement of that. We’re unbelievably overwhelmed.”
Heron added the award is confirmation from the critics of what the Blackrock community, who keeps coming back, had already determined. Their unexpected achievement, however, won’t change Heron and Grey’s enduring goals.
“I think the idea and the goal from the beginning was, no matter what came our way, we’ll always stick with it. We’re gonna keep trying to push ourselves,” Heron said. “It’s still gonna be a lot of fun to be there. It’s never gonna be a stuffy environment and it’s always going to be very welcoming.”
