Year in Review: Former Head Chef of Michelin-starred Waterford restaurant celebrates another star

Chefs at a Tipperary hotel are celebrating in style after winning a prestigious Michelin star. 

The Bishop's Buttery at the five star Cashel Palace Hotel - lead by Director of Culinary, Stephen Hayes, and Head Chef, Stefan McEnteer - has claimed a coveted Michelin star alongside 24 other restaurants across Ireland and the UK. 

Hayes was formerly Head Chef of the Michelin-starred restaurant at The Cliff House Hotel in Waterford, before moving on to the Michelin three-starred Restaurant De Librije in Holland. 

Chef McEnteer previously honed his skills under the mentorship of renowned Irish chefs Neven Maguire and Derry Clarke. 

Staff at the luxury hotel warmly welcomed the duo home following the Michelin Guide UK ceremony at The Midland Hotel in Manchester on February 5. 

A video of their homecoming has been viewed on X (formerly Twitter) almost 50,000 times: 

Welcome Home ❤️ A warm welcome awaited Director of Culinary Stephen Hayes and Head Chef Stefan McEnteer upon returning to @cashelpalace from Manchester’s @MichelinGuideUK ceremony last night. ⭐️ #Michelin #TheBishopsButtery #CashelPalace #Tipperary @ShtigChef @stefanlufc pic.twitter.com/bFYY7rem8e

— Cashel Palace Hotel (@CashelPalace) February 6, 2024

Open since 2022, The Bishop's Buttery is a fine dining restaurant offering contemporary Irish cuisine with produce mostly sourced from farmers, growers and artisanal food producers in Tipperary. 

Speaking about the win, Stephen Hayes said, "We are really delighted with today’s news. Gaining a Michelin Star so soon after opening is a fantastic achievement. It has always been my hope to receive the Star and now, along with Stefan and the team, we have achieved it. 

"I honestly couldn’t be any happier. This is an important recognition of our hard work and is wonderful for team morale, reflecting our ambitions front and back of house." 

General Manager of Cashel Palace Hotel, Adriaan Bartels, expressed his delight at the achievement. 

He said, "We are delighted to know that The Bishop’s Buttery has been acknowledged by Michelin as a high-quality restaurant. We have had a fantastic couple of years since opening the hotel and this will be an additional boost to our attractiveness as a destination, for local guests and for international tourists." 

Homestead Cottage in Doolin and D'Olier Street in Dublin also received stars at the Michelin Guide UK ceremony. 

Just sixteen restaurants across Ireland have a Michelin star, with five restaurants boasting two stars.