‘Le Skinny Chef’, Mr Aymar Gourdet, is a French award-winning chef based in Portlaoise.

With over 30 years of experience, Mr Gourdet specialises in creative French-Irish Fusion Cuisine. We spoke to Mr Gourdet on his cheffing journey, and his choice ‘Dish of the Season’.

Mr Gourdet’s passion for cooking came from evenings spent cooking with his mother in the family home.

“I was very young when I realised that I had a passion for food, for trying new things and experimenting,” Mr Gourdet told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

“From the age of 15, I started training as a chef in restaurants in Paris, it was a fantastic experience. I did an apprenticeship for two years, before moving to chef in England at 17,” Mr Gourdet explained.

Pictuered: Le Skinny Chef Aymar Gourdet with his 'Le Skinny Chef' creations

Ireland’s restaurant industry was a completely different environment for Mr Gourdet, who was shocked at the lack of restaurants in the country’s capital.

“I had no English and moved over on my own, I found a full time job in La Mere Zou in St Stephen’s Green,” the chef said.

“When I arrived here, there were around 20 French restaurants in Ireland. It was completely different in Paris, we had far more options,” he said.

“Here people just wanted the basics, they were very plain eaters. Irish diners just wanted  meat and vegetables piled high on a plate, it was a complete shock!” he laughed.

In the 32 years since, Mr Gourdet believes that Ireland’s dining scene has changed completely.

“People are far more adventurous now,” he said.

“Back in the day, you had to cater to the customer instead of giving them unique experiences. They just wanted to be fed. The fact that food is called grub here shows that!” he laughed.

Pictured: Le Skinny Chef Aymar Gourdet

“I would say we from France and Spain have educated Ireland to a different level, they are now known for fine dining cuisine. 

“Journalists writing about restaurants has also changed the dining scene, food critics praising restaurants put them on a pedestal for Irish people,” the chef affirmed.

Mr Gourdet then moved on to open his own restaurant ‘Annamar’s’ in Kildare Town, and ran this business for sixteen years. It was a successful enterprise that won Mr Gourdet many awards and medals.

“It was French cuisine we provided, but we used mostly Irish produce. I have always been passionate about sourcing locally,” he said.

Pictured: Le Skinny Chef and his daughter with Taoiseach Micheál Martin

“I would go foraging for the restaurant in the forest, finding mushrooms and so on. I was always using nature,” he said.

Mr Gourdet’s journey to becoming  ‘Le Skinny Chef’ began with a simple pesto spread.

“I created my own pesto sauce to elaborate dishes, and the customers went mad for it. I would put it on the table with bread, and they would ask for jars to bring home. I began to make jars in bulk and leave them in a little dispense fridge on the bar,” he explained.

This venture grew to Mr Gourdet selling over 60 different products of soups, jams and chutneys from his restaurant.

Two years later, Mr Gourdet realised that he wanted to reinvent himself.

“I was afraid I would lose the passion and time behind cooking food in trying to run the restaurant,” he explained.

In 2016 le Skinny Chef was born, with Mr Gourdet now supplying supermarkets and customers across the country.

Pictured: Le Skinny Chef on Ireland AM

“Customers in my restaurant used to call me ‘the skinny chef’, they were always wondering why a chef making lovely food was so skinny,” Mr Gourdet laughed.

“The business name stemmed from there, and I became Le Skinny Chef!”

With the growth of products in 2024, Le Skinny Chef products are now available in Supervalu, Dunnes Stores and Aldi. Mr Gourdet also offers food service where he supplies restaurants. 

With the passion and talent for cooking, we asked Mr Gourdet how he retains this passion while running a culinary business.

“You have to have both,” he explained.

“It’s not always easy because you have to divide your time, but if you don’t treat yourself as a business man you won’t survive,” Mr Gourdet said.

“You can be creative but you can also be blind. You don’t really have a choice, you have to sit down and look at the numbers, and analyse your work in terms of business.

"I suppose for me, the biggest battle is trying to look at what I’m doing. To analyse my own work, that constant review of my work. When you believe in yourself and your product, you develop an appetite for your business,” he said.

“You believe in what you do and you want to share that with your customers, you want to share it with your team as well. You want them to follow you. You have to adapt to a different vision and make new products as well as creating new things,” he said.

“You have to find that happy balance,” Mr Gourdet finished. 

For more from Chef Gourdet, including an easy and delicious recipe, pick up a copy of the Laois Life magazine.

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