JP McMahon

“For me, cooking is essentially trying to tell a story and give a gift.”

JP McMahon is a chef, restaurateur and author. He is the owner and culinary director of Michelin-starred Aniar Restaurant and award-winning Cava Bodega, and runs the Aniar Boutique Cookery School.

He is also the founder of Food on the Edge, an international event that gathers people from all over the world to cook, eat and exchange ideas on how to make the food industry more sustainable. McMahon is committed to buying and supporting the best of local and free-range produce and engaging directly with farmers and producers.

As a director, founding member and the current Chair of the Galway Food Festival, McMahon is an ambassador for Irish food, travelling widely to promote Ireland, its produce and food culture. He is also an ambassador for Spanish food in Ireland promoting wines from Galicia and Jerez.

He is also a published author, a food writer and a contributor to the Irish Times, Radio One and Newstalk Radio and has a monthly slot on RTE TV and was twice the winning mentor for the RTE Series Taste of Success.