Chef Holly White: ‘I love to think of food as energising, beautiful and positive’

Whether people choose to be vegan or not, Holly White’s hope is that the dishes she creates are loved by everyone.

Adopting a plant-based lifestyle over eight years ago, Holly never looked back. However, when she first transitioned her eating habits, she began eating an extremely carbohydrate-dense diet, and it was only through integrating vegan protein sources such as beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, and nuts that her energy felt balanced.

Through blending a whole foods plant-based diet with daily mindfulness and intuitive practices, she came to a place where the level of confidence and balance she had been striving for has become a reality, and she wants to empower everyone to do the same.

Here, she shares everything from her earliest memories of food to her favourite flavours and culinary inspirations…

What are your earliest memories of food?

Being covered in flour making jam tarts with my mum in our Leeson Street basement kitchen.

How would you describe your relationship with food?

So positive! I became aware of the relationship between what I ate and how I felt early on. In giving up all animal products and processed foods I’ve gained so much. I love to think of food as energising, beautiful and positive.

What was the first meal you learned to cook?

My first vegan meal was a shepardless pie which became a sort of hero recipe in my cookbook Vegan-ish and then in The Merrion Hotel where I created the vegan additions to the menu.

How did food become a part of your career/business/personal brand?

I was working as an on-air stylist on TV3 Xposé and started sharing recipes and vegan lifestyle tips on Snapchat. As I became more conscious and confident in the fact that this was a path I wanted to pursue, I started to share more of my content and landed up with more work in the space. It has been very organic.

What’s your go-to breakfast?

A matcha latte, berries, coconut yogurt, almond butter and lots of chia seeds and nuts.

If you’re impressing friends and family at a dinner party, what are you serving up?

Vegan Caesar salad to start, roasted vegetables, hummus and crispy tofu or a curry as a main and a vegan cheesecake or chocolate truffles for dessert.

Who is your culinary inspiration?

Ella Mills.

What would your last meal on earth be?

The one I will be serving up at a dinner party *above*. I love how I feel when I cook up this meal and what this kind of food means for the planet. You can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 70% by adopting a plant-based lifestyle and I’d like to go that way, causing minimal impact to the planet.

What’s your go-to comfort food?

A good vegan burger, dark chocolate, and a soy latte.

What’s the go-to quick meal you cook when you’re tired and hungry?

A quick stir fry with brown rice and satay sauce.

What is one food or flavour you cannot stand?

Anything that causes cruelty or pain to animals.

Hangover cure?

Love! And lovely things.

Sweet or savoury?

Savoury.

Fine dining or pub grub?

I love comfort classics, so I’d say glam pub grub!

Favourite restaurant in Ireland?

The Garden Room at The Merrion.

Best coffee in Ireland?

A matcha made in my own kitchen. I have the Nespresso milk frother and its super handy.

Go-to beverage accompaniment?

Smoked almonds.

What are your thoughts on the Irish foodie scene?

I love it. I feel so warmly embraced and supported by everyone in the industry. I am passionate about giving talks and demonstrations at festivals. I have had so many wonderful opportunities working with brands on different media platforms over the past few years alongside some of the nicest people out there.

What’s your favourite thing about cooking?

When you make the connection between what you eat and how you feel, it changes the perspective on ‘healthy eating’ entirely and makes it so exciting.

What does food — sitting down to a meal with friends, mindfully preparing a meal, nourishment, etc — mean to you?

Sharing goodness in so many forms.

Food for thought — Is there room for improvement within the Irish food/restaurant/hospitality scene?

Kindness is key, being kind to staff, clients, our environment, the food producers. This all translates into the magical intangible element that makes a good meal great.

Chef’s kiss — Tell us about one standout foodie experience you’ve had recently.

I’m currently working with Compass Ireland and in the process of developing some exciting vegan options that elevate perceptions of vegan food so much. Watch this space!

Compliments to the chef — Now’s your chance to sing the praises of a talented chef, beloved restaurant or particularly talented foodie family member.

Ed Cooney and the team at The Merrion Hotel have been so wonderfully kind to me, they made me feel seen and heard before vegan food was what it now is, and for that I’ll always be so grateful. Together we’ve created some incredibly special dishes over the years.

Secret ingredient — What, in your estimation, makes the perfect dining experience?

The company, the ingredients, and the vibe.

As Compass Ireland’s newest Vegan Ambassador, Holly White is working alongside their chefs to help develop an even more varied plant-based food offering.