New head chef brings passion to Belfast’s Blank
Belfast’s award-winning Blank restaurant has appointed a new head chef to join their team and develop their unique offering for guests.
Martin Carroll, who is originally from Newry, will take charge of the kitchen which produces course after course of mystery dishes which are only revealed to diners when placed in front of them.
Having learnt his trade at catering college in his hometown, Martin then gained 15 years’ experience behind the pass of luxury hotel restaurants including Gleneagles in Perthshire, Scotland, and Castle Leslie in County Monaghan, as well as running a fine dining restaurant in Bulgaria.
Blank, which previously won the LCN best restaurant award and was added to the Michelin Guide earlier this year, does not have a menu, so guests arrive without knowing what dish they will be served – only that every ingredient on their plate has been sourced locally from the island of Ireland. Martin plans to enhance this experience even further.
He said: “I was instantly drawn to the Blank concept – using hyper seasonal and solely local produce is something I’m just as passionate about as they are here. I love to forage for produce myself, whether it’s mushrooms, herbs, sea vegetables, you’ll often find me around Dundrum searching for the freshest possible ingredients to add to my dishes, so that will definitely come in handy.
“The experience people get when they dine at Blank is already top class, that is why the Michelin Guide wanted to add them, but I want to help take it to the next level. I’m working hard to ensure I put my own stamp on it, having already brought in new courses and some special added extras to ensure everyone leaves here with a smile on their face and feeling like they have just experienced something like no other. It’s a big task but one I am really excited to be a part of.”
Guests at Blank are given a number of choices when they book; three courses for early or lunctime diners, a new six course experience and the signature nine course option, which all come with extras including several amuse-bouches and freshly baked breads.
Welcoming Martin to the team, Jonny Taylor, Owner and Chef at Blank added: “We’re delighted to have Martin join us and help continue to grow the Blank Experience. He brings a wealth of experience in fine dining, a new style of cooking and fresh energy to our team. There is no standing still at Blank, and we always want to see what new dishes we can create and flavours we can present to our customers. Martin has come in with ideas that we are delighted to embrace, and we look forward to serving these up.”
