Clodagh studied in France and NYC, and then went on to train as a chef at Ballymaloe Cookery School, followed by 3 years working as a chef in Ballymaloe House in Cork, Ireland. After an inspiring visit to the Midleton Farmers Market, she decided to take a leap of faith and leave the kitchen to set up her own stall at that market. Soon after, she was developing other farmers markets around Ireland and set up a commercial kitchen making pates, which her cousin Barrie Tyner now sells at farmers markets in Cork.
Currently, she writes a weekly column for the Irish Examiner. In addition to her regular columns, Clodagh has also written for the Irish Times, The Sunday Tribune, Aer Lingus Magazine, Delicious Magazine, Image Interiors, and RED Magazine. Clodagh has appeared as a cook and promoter of local produce on RTE's, Out of The Blue; Rick Stein's Food Heroes, (BBC2); TV3's Ireland AM Show; RTE’s The Late Late Show, Saturday Cooks (ITV), Saturday Kitchen (BBC1), La prova del cuoco (RAI 1 in Italy), The Today Show (NBC in USA), RTE's The Afternoon Show, BBC’s Food Poker and is a regular chef presenter for UKTV's Market Kitchen.
Her first book The Irish Farmers' Market Cookbook was published by Harper Collins in November 2006, which was a bestseller and Clodagh filmed 2 TV series to accompany the book, entitled Fresh from the Farmers Markets which debuted on RTE 1 in 2007. Part two of the series was broadcasted over the summer of 2008 and was also picked up by media outlets throughout Europe, Austrialia & New Zealand.
Her third series, Fresh From the Sea, aired in summer 2009 on RTE 1 and in New Zealand in Autumn 2009. Clodagh wrote her second book , From the Sea, which was released in May 2009 to coincide with the TV series.
She is also very proud to be working on a project with SuperValu supermarkets in Ireland to develop and promote their local artisan producers. Clodagh is also the Spokesperson for AGA Ireland.
Clodagh has traveled the world giving cooking demonstrations in the USA; Italy; UK and Holland.
In autumn 2008, Clodagh designed and launched my new 1950’s-inspired ‘LOVE Aprons’ which are sold in over 50 outlets throughout Ireland and the UK.
www.clodaghmckenna.com
