Leading Lights: Dave Mulcahy

Chef, Consultant, VP of the Craft Guild of Chefs, Chairman of Springboard Future Chef

A true legend of the industry who has helped and shaped the careers of thousands of chefs, David Mulcahy is a real culinary leading light. A formidable force as organiser of the National Chef of the Year (NCOTY) and Young National Chef of the Year (YNCOTY) competitions, David has been central to the success of the Craft Guild of Chefs and is renowned for championing talent throughout the sector.

What are your first memories of food as a youngster?

My grandmother was the baker and my mother loved to experiment, so my first fond memories are of them both busily working away on various creations. People didn’t eat out at restaurants as much and it was very much in the era of dinner parties, so they would utilise the incredible local produce we were blessed with to create all manner of menus and feasts.

Can you remember some of your first creations?

I would regularly make fruit pies, scones, soda bread and griddle cakes. We had an apple tree, grew rhubarb, gooseberries and summer berries so if it could go in a tart, it did! But then I wanted to do more and we had a huge cookbook that seemed to cover everything from pâtés to all sorts of things covered in aspic and over the top garnishing. Very much of its time.

What do you consider your biggest achievement?

Being given the Freedom of the City of London and travelling to Gambia with the World Food Programme and United Nations in 2024 are two highlights. However, my work with the Craft Guild of Chefs, building the UK National Chef and Young National Chef of the Year competitions, as well as my work with Springboard FutureChef has given me so much pleasure and I’m incredibly proud of what we have achieved.

Outside of that, I’m proud that I continue to see the best in people, remain resilient and positive through all the storms and I still
have passion and drive to succeed, whatever the challenges.

Tell us about Fuelling Minds, how did you get involved?

I live locally to David Anderson who has recently launched Fuelling Minds. We met up and David shared his vision for the company and we found we have shared values. Strong food quality ethos, a commitment to delivering at the best level possible, focus on guest satisfaction and doing everything with strong sustainable commitments. I am acting as a consultant around ESG, training and development, supplier relations and sustainability. It’s very exciting and I am very much looking forward to
getting involved as new business comes online.

Which young/upcoming chefs should we be watching at present?

There are so many. I run the UK Young National Chef of the Year and the slightly more senior UK National Chef of the Year, as well as being National Chairman for FutureChef. I cannot believe how many young talented people are making waves. They are inspiring in so many ways. Often, they also seem to have such a focus on what they want to do and a plan to achieve it. So, watch these and other chef competitions and you will see the same names moving through the system, honing their skills and developing confidence and getting noticed.

Competitions have played a big part of your life – how did that happen?

I entered a competition when I was working in Ireland but I had no coaching, no guidance and although I enjoyed it, I wasn’t
left with a bug for competing. Then while I was working in London, one day some chefs were meeting and eating at the hotel, and I was cooking for them. They obviously saw something they liked and asked if I wanted to help them out. Next minute, I was in a kitchen practising with some top chefs, and we were preparing for the culinary World Cup. We went on to win the very first International Gold Medal for the UK at the Culinary Olympics. Competitions have played a huge part in
my life ever since.

How did you become involved with the Springboard FutureChef competition?

I have been involved in FutureChef since its inception over 25 years ago. It started with the idea of encouraging young people to consider both the life skill and career prospects on offer. Getting into schools was an important objective. We wanted to reach young people before they were considering career choices. But it was also to sow the seed to develop a love of food and a sense of achievement when creating a dish.

Do you have a favourite dish or cuisine to cook?

I love food and like to cook so many different things. At home, we generally eat more vegetarian and fish than meat heavy dishes so it’s great to make vegetables and healthy fibres the heroes and as delicious as they can be. I think fresh, seasonal and local is the first priority.