Hylda Adams, Bord Bia – A seat at the chefs’ table
If you want to know about Irish chefs, Bord Bia’s Hylda Adams is the woman to ask. She books the culinary stars for the Chef’s Stage tent at Bloom every year.
Putting the line-up together for one of the most popular areas at the event sounds a bit like a tried and tested recipe. Hylda talks about the need to have both new and established Irish chefs on the bill.
“We try to get people who’ve got a profile and who’ve done well in the past and I always like to put in a few new ones. I want a balance – people you know from the TV or media and exciting new young chefs on the up. This year, our newcomers include JP McMahon from Galway, Sharon Hearne Smith the food stylist and Shane Smith, master pastry chef.”
In terms of perennial Bloom favourites, it’s the man from Cavan who stands out. “I could have Neven Maguire on all day and people would stay for him and they’re very upset when they miss him.”
Hylda works on the bill all year round, handling calls from publishers and agents wanting to interest her in new cookbooks, staying in contact with her regular chefs, checking out other food festivals like Taste of Dublin and, of course, keeping an eye on Instagram and social media.
Her goal is simple: a full tent. “There are 200 seats in the tent and I want to fill all of them so everyone can see how great these chefs are and the delicious dishes they produce using the best of Irish ingredients. It’s fantastic that people take 45 minutes out of their day to sit there and watch and listen.”
One of the big surprises for Hylda was the reaction to Roz Purcell last year. “This was the first time I ever noticed a different audience – nearly all girls in their early twenties and all excited to see Roz. It was even a totally different audience to what we got for Donal Skehan in the past. I’ve no idea where they came from but they turned up.”
Making sure all these chefs are happy is no mean feat, especially when you consider that Hylda and her team are setting up a kitchen in the middle of what is a very large field.
“We have a prep kitchen out the back with prep tables and fridges and storage room. The professional chefs bring all their stuff and gear with them, but newer chefs are not as experienced and they often forget to bring everything they need. They don’t understand the work that goes into it. They quickly learn!”
