AWARD-winning West Belfast chef and restaurateur Niall McKenna will release his debut cookbook this October, sharing a handpicked collection of recipes for iconic dishes from his popular Belfast restaurants, including James Street, Hadskis and Waterman.
Featuring 140 recipes served over the last 20 years across Niall’s five restaurants, the book – in its tongue-in-cheek title and throughout its 300 pages - asks one question: What’s it all About?
A love letter to Belfast, the book heroes local produce from the best local suppliers and producers. Alongside mouth-watering photography of the much-loved dishes, the book features striking captures of iconic Belfast landmarks and showcases some of Niall and his wife Joanne’s amazing art collections that have been displayed in their restaurants over the last two decades.
Following a heartfelt dedication that reads ‘For Belfast. I couldn’t have done it without you’, Niall reflects on the book’s quirky title, What’s it all About? in an introduction that sets the tone for a captivating celebration of our food, and people.
“It’s not a catchphrase, more an expression of my curiosity — a throwaway line that sparks up a bit of banter, reveals something interesting, funny or new and maybe even helps anyone within earshot to have a better day,” McKenna writes, explaining the inspiration behind the book’s title.
“That’s what What’s it all About? is all about. It’s not just about making food you’ll enjoy eating; it’s about making time you’ll enjoy having. It’s a journey across 20 years of cooking in Belfast — at my first restaurant in the city, James Street South, its Bar and Grill sidekick, The Great British Menu TV show, Hadskis, Cast and Crew and now finally in my new place, Waterman. The recipes in this book are customer favourites from that time. Mine too.
“It all starts with the great ingredients you can find within a few miles of your front door and as you flick through the pages, you’ll discover where I get mine,” he says. “But remember, this isn’t just a cookbook. This is a trail, a trek, a dander through 20 years of Belfast hospitality; the people, places and craic.”
Amongst the mouth-watering recipes are fan-favourites including dulse and clam chowder (James St), chili crab linguine (served in The Bar & Grill at James Street South and Waterman for the last 12 years), honey madeleines (Waterman), and the hugely moreish Guinness Wheaten (James St & Waterman).
A testament to the admiration and respect Niall has gained throughout his career can be read in the foreword at the front of the new cookbook. Friend and chef Paul Rankin, whom Niall credits as being hugely influential in his career, describes Niall as ‘a shining light, always there, always cheery, always the hardest worker, heralding the cookbook as a ‘gift to all of us who love food and hospitality’.
Following the book launch this October, Niall will host a series of immersive events, including a new What’s it All About Cookery experience, where people will join him to cook a selection of dishes from the book, leaving with a copy to continue their cooking endeavours at home. What’s it all About Cookery Classes will also be available for individuals, businesses, and groups to book, or as gifts, with packages starting from £130 per person, including a copy of the book.
What’s it All About? by Niall McKenna will be released in mid-October. Priced £25, the cookbook will be available to purchase at James Street and Waterman, via the Waterman House website, and in selected local stockists including the Belfast Welcome Centre, Maven and JN Wines. Preorders are available now from www.waterman.house
