Jeroen Hoppenbrouwer

“The best part of my job is that I get to be creative and make beautiful dishes for people to enjoy”

What brought you to Ireland?

Four years ago my fiancé and I moved to Ireland from the Netherlands. She was doing an Erasmus study program in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. I hopped along because I wanted to do something else and see more of the world.

Until then, I had worked as a nurse, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do that for the rest of my life. This seemed like a good change for me to try something different, at least for a while.

How did you start working in tourism?

I started working as a commis chef in a bistro kitchen in Letterkenny for 6 months passed while my fiancé completed her Erasmus program. We decided to stay in Ireland for another 6 months just to work and enjoy the country

We started looking for our next move and stumbled upon Maperath Farm. They were looking for W.W.O.O.F-ers (Worldwide Work On Organic Farms) to help out on their farm and in the Headfort Arms Hotel, Kells, County Meath. We wanted to learn about farming and this seemed like an exciting experience, so we made the move.

How did your career progress from there?

I started my career as a server in the Vanilla Pod restaurant, and after a couple of months I moved over to the lounge/ café section of the hotel.

I had worked there with a lot of joy for little over a year, when the opportunity arose for me to go back into the kitchen to start an apprenticeship in a commis chef program.

I took the opportunity and now, two years later I am almost finished with the apprenticeship and I am working as one of the chefs in the Vanilla Pod restaurant.

Tell us about your day-to-day job?

My current role entails prep and service of the starter section of the Vanilla Pod. Sometimes I help with functions but mostly I am in charge of that section in the kitchen.

What is the best thing about your job?

I love that I get to be creative with weekend specials, and during the week I think about what I should do with the special, on Friday I create it and it will be sold in the restaurant, which I think is very cool.

The best part of my job is that I get to be creative and make beautiful dishes for people to enjoy. Working with a team under pressure is exciting and provides a big pay-off when everything runs smoothly.

What skills have you developed in tourism?

I learned to plan my actions and be systematic in my approach in the kitchen. I always read over my prep list twice to make sure I don’t miss anything. If I miss anything in the preparation I will come up short in the service.

To succeed in tourism, you need passion to work with people and food, a good sense of humor and a bit of a no-nonsense attitude to make the workload lighter.

Dedication is important, because things don’t always go the way you want them to go. You have to keep trying and giving your best until you are happy with the result.

What piece of advice would you give to someone considering a career in tourism?

One piece of advice that I have for people who are considering a career in tourism is when opportunities arise, take them on with both hands. If you work hard and put passion into everything you do, you will be rewarded!

What are your plans for the future?

I’m not sure about my plans for the future, but I definitely want to continue my career in tourism. The commis chef apprenticeship degree is very international, which means I can work wherever I like. I am open to seeing where this career will bring me, but for now I am quite happy here in Ireland and enjoying the dishes I can create and people I work with and serve. Let’s see what the future holds!

Failte Ireland