Eoin Sheehan shares his life in food, from his earliest memories to his favourite flavours and culinary inspirations.
Eoin Sheehan is a television chef on The Six O’Clock Show, nutritionist and food entrepreneur from Limerick. He is the owner of ready-to-eat meal-prep service and sports catering business Country Munch, and is passionate about all things food. Here, he shares his life in food.
What are your earliest memories of food?
Food has always had a prominent place in my life. I’m the fourth child out of five so having three older brothers meant lots of dinners at various times when they would come home from school at different hours. I would always sit with them and get a little plate of whatever was being cooked. Having family in America also shaped my perception of food; huge hotdogs, plates of ribs and obnoxious-portion-sized desserts were fond memories of mine from my travels to Tennessee.
How would you describe your relationship with food?
My relationship with food balances work, performance and pleasure. I own a catering company so food is a big part of my day everyday. I’m a nutritionist and competitive athlete so fueling myself is a huge factor in what I eat, but ultimately I love to cook, I love to feed people and love eating with others, so there’s a large element of pleasure in there for me. It’s certainly a balancing act!
What was the first meal you learned to cook?
Realistically, toast. But out of necessity, I improved my skill set enough to make mountains of pasta and salmon when playing rugby competitively as a teenager.
How did food become a part of your career?
Understanding food and more importantly, nutrition helped me lose 25kg when I was 19 years old. It gave me so much power and confidence back in myself that I grew super passionate about cooking, food and how the food we eat ultimately feeds or fights disease!
What’s your go-to breakfast?
Coming from a farm in West Limerick that had a chicken coop, eggs have always been a staple for me. Scrambled, fried or loaded omelettes are my go-to, ideally with some smoked salmon and if I’m feeling very bougie, some avocado and cherry tomatoes on the side. I’m savoury over sweet everyday for breakfast!
If you’re impressing friends and family at a dinner party, what are you serving up?
I love Italian food so I might start with some homemade bruschetta, maybe a beautiful pasta dish for mains and then a tiramisu for dessert.
Who is your culinary inspiration?
Close to home; my mother was always cooking. Feeding five children, a farming husband and anyone else who might walk into the house on that given day! Kathleen Sheehan always had fresh food on the table regardless of the juggling jobs she had that day. Outside of the home, I would watch hours of YouTube and cooking shows as a teenager. Jamie Oliver seemed to have a show on seven nights a week so anything that was on I would watch, learn and pick up culinary IQ from.
What would your last meal on earth be?
Breaded garlic mushrooms with garlic aioli. Rare steak with all the trimmings and a peppercorn sauce. Side of Caesar salad. Little taster board of tiramisu, warm brownie and snicker cheesecake.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
I think my mother’s spag bol is always my favourite. Partially because portion control doesn’t exist so I can have a mountain of pasta with continuous parmesan grating.
What’s the go-to quick meal you cook when you’re tired and hungry?
I’m a bit of a One Pan Wonder cook when it’s for myself. What I’ve found really handy is using Google’s AI assistant Gemini where you can list off what you have in the fridge and it’ll give you five options to cook. After a day of cooking, the last thing you want is to face a long shift at home. Using AI makes life easier!
Hangover cure?
Water, movement, sweating, nourishing food and relaxing.
Sweet or savoury?
Savoury all day.
Fine dining or pub grub?
Pub grub for sure! No fuss, big portions, and half the time and money!
Favourite restaurant in Ireland?
Being from Limerick I’ll have to stay local – Freddy’s Bistro is stunning in the city.
Best coffee in Ireland?
I love my coffee but I’m no coffee snob. My favourite coffee is that of a slow Sunday morning. Wherever it comes from I don’t mind.
What are your thoughts on the Irish foodie scene?
Ireland is the home of some of the greatest food products in the world. Between our beef, dairy and innovative chefs, Ireland’s foodie scene has the potential to flourish but is hampered by the realities of owning a food business. High operational costs, small margins and increased VAT rates make it harder and harder for Irish innovation to flow from small-scale industries.
What’s your favourite thing about cooking?
It’s as close to a flow state and creative escape as I can get. You can lose hours prepping, chopping, cooking, baking and become fully immersed in the activity. Not all the time, but when it happens it’s magical.
What does food — sitting down to a meal with friends, mindfully preparing a meal, nourishment, etc — mean to you?
It’s the whole point of cooking for me. If I were to just feed myself for the rest of my life it would be pretty bleak (and a lot of sandwiches). Feeding others is my favourite. Bringing people together, sharing in the tasting of flavours and new dishes and just uninterrupted time with one another is crucial. It doesn’t need to be fancy — it’s a love language like none other.
Food for thought — Is there room for improvement within the Irish food/restaurant/hospitality scene?
There’s always room to improve, thankfully! We’re living in a time now where technology is progressing much faster than we are, so it’s up to us to utilise it and play it to our strengths. For example, using Gemini we can scale recipes and relevant food quantities, reduce manual labour hours and minimise our food waste in the kitchens. I think the more we can use modern tech software, the further we’ll improve and push the envelope.
Chef’s kiss — Tell us about one standout foodie experience you’ve had recently.
Borough Market in London. Humble Crumble makes these delicious pots of warm fruit, homemade crumble and warm custard. It’s absolutely sensational.
Compliments to the chef — Now’s your chance to sing the praises of a talented chef, beloved restaurant or particularly talented foodie family member.
Our head chef in Country Munch (our catering company) Muffi Mostafa has shown me more about food and running kitchens than any course, school or program will. His passion for good food is infectious and for a man in his late 50s, he shows up and runs a kitchen like a man in his 20s with enthusiasm and a real pride in his craft!
Secret ingredient — What, in your estimation, makes the perfect dining experience?
Aside from the food and the environment, it’s the people that make the experience. Some of my fondest memories are when my closest friends or family get together. You don’t always remember where you went or what you ate, but you remember the feeling you get from the laughter and love that the food and environment brings.
