Ray Purcell
Ray PurcellHead Chef, The Crowne Plaza, Blanchardstown
Hotel & Catering Review talks to The Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown’s Head Chef Ray Purcell about their new bar menu and food trends for 2017.

The current menu is very contemporary. We have an Italian restaurant that has one rosette and we’re currently going for a second rosette. The Gold Medal Award win last year was great for business. People are now talking about the restaurant so hopefully we will be getting the numbers up even more. Our new bar menu features beer battered haddock, a half roasted chicken, pizzas, and pasta dishes, so we will still have all the old favourites but with a new twist. Fusion will be a big trend for 2017. I like to fuse Italian with French cuisine and some French cooking methods. Also, customers are looking for value for money, fresh ingredients, and simplicity on a plate.”


The potato. It’s very versatile. You can make stews with it, you can make individual potato dishes, and you can use it as a thickening agent.


Pistachio crusted leg of lamb with potato.


I owe where I am today to my old Head Chef Sean Ahearne. We spent a lot of time together and he provided me with valuable training along the way.”


I’d really like a massive pizza oven, I think it is more flavoursome compared to the commercial ovens. It is also more rustic and authentic.