Day in the life of Clare Ann O’Keefe, Food Designer

Clare Anne O’Keefe is a food designer, writer and cook. She creates food installations, unique recipes and eating experiences and is coming back to Savour Kilkenny again this year. Originally from Scotland, Clare Ann has been living in Ireland for over 25 years and calls it home.

She uses food design as a tool for connection and a way to explore the spaces between disciplines and cultures. O’Keefe has collaborated with international brands, artists, artisan producers and even supermarkets to ask culinary questions and tell food stories.

She created and hosted a series of curated dinners for the Science Gallery, Dublin, appeared on Ireland’s first MasterChef TV show and has contributed styling and recipes to Food and Wine (IE), Fresh Magazine (IE), and Scottish national press.

In 2022 Clare Anne collaborated on Sustainment Experiments and is creating a salt-based artwork in Chile with Food Design Nation. She is a consulting chef, recipe developer, stylist, food-art researcher, and keen public speaker who lives in Dublin with her two children and partner.

Now that the business bit is out of the way, I have a confession to make! When Clare Ann first came to give a cooking demonstration at Savour Kilkenny back in 2011, I was star-struck. At the time, my husband and I were glued to MasterChef Ireland and it goes without saying Clare Ann was our clear favourite with her bubbly personality and amazing cooking skills.

When it came for someone to collect Clare Ann at Kilkenny train station for Savour, I jumped at the offer, and she hasn’t shaken me off since! Over a decade later we remain best friends and I love nothing more than when Clare Ann is cooking up a storm in my kitchen because it’s a feast like no other.

Here is a glimpse into Clare Ann’s world….

COOK -BEAN -ARTIST -OTHER.

(L- R) Clare Anne O’Keefe, Etaoin Holahan, Deirdre O’Mahony, Bridget O’Gorman at Kilkenny based Artist Deirdre O’Mahoney Sustainment Experiments at the Butler Gallery

What was the Butler Gallery event that you cooked for last week here in Kilkenny about?

This month I had such a fantastic opportunity to be part of Kilkenny based Artist Deirdre O’Mahoney Sustainment Experiments at the Butler Gallery. I got to create art that you could cook, eat, and discuss.

Deirdre brought together twenty-four Kilkenny linked farmers, food producers, scientists, politicians, and policymakers to share in our feast and to discuss the first-hand experience of the challenge of farming today.

These feasts are modelled on an eighteenth-century feast hosted by a French scientist, Antoine Augustin Parmentier, who helped transform public health by changing attitudes towards the potato, then believed to be unfit for human consumption.

Following Parmentier’s example, the ingredients will serve as a prompt to ignite conversations and will explore different aspects of agriculture and sustainment as the exhibition travels.

Sustainment Experiments Dinner at Kilkenny's Butler Gallery

Your days on Masterchef Ireland were such fun, but there must have been some pressure too?

Yes, I love that you are still such a fan of Masterchef Siobhan. It really was such a great fun experience, but you are right it was intense. I made some real friends in that pressured environment that I still keep in touch with ten years later.

Honestly, it was more the aspects of TV production and filming that I found a bit difficult rather than the cooking. I loved the challenging aspects of the Masterchef format, and I think that really has stood to me in my career. I still relish a challenge!

MasterChef opened doors for me in the Irish food industry and encouraged me to actually cook rather than look at food from an academic perspective. Before Masterchef I had completed the Diploma in Speciality Food Production at UCC and was working with artisan producers in Cork. Since the programme I have become a member of Irish Food Writers Guild and have created a career I love in Food Design

You started in the food industry at Temple Bar Farmers Market as a young science student in UCD from Scotland. You were exposed very early on in your career to some of Ireland's best artisan food producers.

Yes, I was so lucky to come to Dublin as a Scottish teenager and get to work in one of the country's best artisan markets.

The experience at the Temple bar market really shaped me, back then in the 90’s Sheridan Cheesmongers had a stall, Silke Cropp, Toby Simmons, Frank Hedrerman, and loads of biodynamic and organic farmers.

I really think that my interest in Irish food and production came from Frank Hederman, who was a family friend. He introduced me to his salmon smokehouse and natural farming and fishing methods when I was just starting to cook.

Since then, I have attended Ballymaloe Cookery school, studied aspects of Food production at UCC and TU, Dublin, I have worked in food communication at Science Gallery Dublin, loads of farmers markets and most importantly have eaten all around Ireland.

It is a bit overwhelming to realise that I have lived in Ireland now over 25 years and I have been able to learn from the best and embrace the best of Irish Food Production.

These days you are heavily involved in recipe development for food brands. It's not just all about food styling though?

Recipe development is a big part of the work I do. This month I was creating savoury and sweet recipes for Flahavan Porridge oats for National Porridge Week but recipe development is not only important to food brands.

I have found food is a great communication tool and have used recipes, food demos and workshops as an excellent way to engage clients and audiences with cultural events, science research, health campaigns, children’s education, and product marketing.

You are a woman with many hats, but you are best known these days as a food designer. What exactly does a food designer do?

Food design is a collaborative methodology that includes food, technology, society and the environment to tell stories and explore concepts.

I learned about this area of design while working in Dublin’s Science Gallery and loved the inclusive nature of this work, it really brings together scientists, designers, artists and food professionals to work on projects from different perspectives towards one goal.

I have followed the work of Dr Francesca Zampollo, a leader in Food Design, over the years and even got to meet her recently over Zoom while participating in an art residency with Food Design Nation.

You have been involved with Savour Kilkenny for over 10 years, you are part of the Savour recipe for a perfect festival. What brings you back to Kilkenny again & again?

To be honest, Siobhan, having made such a close friend in you is one of the big reasons I return to Kilkenny, with my family so often, but it has also been an opportunity to get to know the warmth of this wonderful city.

My sister, Angela, came to Kilkenny in 2011 to study for a Master's in Goldsmithing in 2011 and I have loved coming here and exploring the ever-burgeoning food scene and wonderful countryside ever since!

In 2012 you did a cooking demo with other Masterchef contestants at Savour to this year giving a Food Art workshop. You've seen a lot of changes with Savour over the years.

I have loved witnessing the manner in which Savour Kilkenny has evolved. The festival has really kept up with changes in the food world and even led in food engagement and communication!

Savour Kilkenny was a great success when it was moved online during the pandemic, and I am enjoying the way that more niche aspects of food production and communication are being explored from food and menopause to foraging for kids.

I am really looking forward to the castle market this year which is embracing global cuisine within a framework of Irish grown produce

What does the future hold for Clare Ann O'Keefe?

Early Next year I will be cooking for iterations of The Sustainment Experiments at the beautiful Georgian Assembly Rooms in Dublin then the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. I am also excited to have been part of a hybrid artists residency with Food Design Nation  and will be exhibiting a sculpture work around salt in O’Higgins, Chile this January.

I am hoping to bring the work to Sligo as it connects these regions through the life of Chile libertador Bernardo O’Higgins who was of Irish parentage. 

I am delighted to be working on more recipe development projects and styling projects with Ireland's best food photographer, Harry Weir through our representation Irish Photo Agency and am just looking forward to some Christmas cooking with my 2 boys, Christopher and Alexander.

See Clare Ann O’Keefe in action at this year’s Savour Kilkenny & all the events over the weekend, simply https://www.savourkilkenny.com/all-events/