La Perla restaurant at the Lyrath Estate Hotel in Kilkenny was recently awarded two AA rosettes. The chief architect behind La Perla’s recognition as an AA Rosette winning restaurant is Executive Head Chef Gary Rogers, who has almost 20 years’ experience in the industry from a variety of destinations all over the world. During his four years in Australia, Gary worked his way up from his position as Head Chef to Executive Head Chef, where his work in Italian restaurant, El Piado helped the venue to claim Best Ethnic Restaurant in Australia at the Australian Hotel & Catering awards last year. “Working in Australia for more than four years certainly helped to hone my cooking skills and broaden my horizons when it comes to the ingredients I use in my dishes,” he says. “Lyrath Estate is a wonderful place to work and I feel right at home here. To be awarded two AA rosettes was a great honour for me personally and for all the staff at La Perla.”