International chefs Bart and Nicole are revolutionising Kilkenny cuisine

Bart and Nicole Pawlukojc are chefs and activists who have traded in their lives on the busy streets of Copenhagen for the medieval and idyllic streets of Kilkenny. They met and fell in love while working in the world's best restaurant, Noma, and have now been married for two years.

After Noma, Nicole went on to run the kitchen as senior sous chef of Mielcke & Hurtigkarl, which was crowned Denmark's 3rd best restaurant. Meanwhile Bart went on to work as a Butcher, Charcuterie and Cheese Maker at ‘Baest’, one of Copenhagen’s top sustainable and organic restaurants

Nicole and Bart are now on a mission to educate Kilkenny about the importance of quality local food in order to change the way we eat. Bart first moved to Kilkenny when he was 18 years old, alongside his sister. He worked in some of Kilkenny’s finest eateries, such as Lyrath Estate Hotel and Zuni restaurant over the years before he moved to Copenhagen. After marrying Nicole, Bart had a strong desire to return to Kilkenny, as he believes it is “a beautiful place to settle down and raise a family”. (At the moment, Bart and Nicole are happily raising their dog!) He also wanted to be closer to his sister, who had stayed in Kilkenny and is now raising a family of her own here.

Bart likens his and Nicole’s cooking to what Jamie Oliver has popularised in Britain over the last few years- food focused on health, flavour and sustainability. Kilkenny has all of this to offer, Bart promises. The couple’s food is bursting full of international influences, with Bart’s experience in both Irish and Danish cuisine while Nicole was trained in a high-class French cuisine background, and has also worked in Italy. This amalgamation of different inspirations has created something which Bart simply describes as; “It’s our food. It’s healthy, delicious and sourced locally”.

The accomplished couple are part of the impressive lineup at this year’s Savour Festival. They hosted a talk entitled ‘Fermentation for our Health’ which gave attendees a better understanding of the many benefits of fermentation and how to apply it in their everyday lives. The event, which took place on Sunday 28th October in the Global Kitchen at 3.30pm, looked at how basic fermentation can help our health, and best of all admission was free! “Fermentation can help with weight loss and rebuilding gut bacteria. Our demonstration will introduce people to fermented products that will help them have healthier bowels, and improve their health overall, including their mood. This can only be achieved by moving away from processed foods” Bart explains.

The couple have an exciting initiative planned after Savour. They are hoping to introduce a ‘Chef’s Corner’ to the Kilkenny Library Service. “We want to source expensive cook books from our friends in the industry all over the world. The library will provide a free space to sit and read these books, which will not be available to rent. Some of these books can cost up to €300 each,so it will be a great resource for local chefs”.

The possibility of these extraordinary chefs one day opening their own restaurant in Kilkenny is “definitely on the table”. They have no concrete plans for this venture as of yet, with Bart saying it could be anything from “a ramen shop to Philippino or Polish cuisine”.

The opportunities for their future here are limitless, however, as Bart happily declares “We’re in Kilkenny for the long haul!”.