The friendly tip of a top hat as you move through the revolving doors, the elegance of the lounge where tastefully-arranged cake stands of afternoon tea adorn the tables and the chatter under the chandeliers of The Horseshoe Bar – there is a reason why The Shelbourne Hotel has stood the test of time, so long in fact, that this year it has celebrated its 200th anniversary.
From the signing of the nation’s constitution, to hosting some of the world’s most famous faces, it’s a hotel heaving in history, and executive head chef Gary Hughes is a man that has been fascinated with its legacy since he started, 16 years ago.
“My first week on the job, I spent three days in a storage house out the back, rummaging through all the menus of the hotel. I was fascinated, I wanted to see it all, some go back to the early 1900s,” says Gary.
These menus aren’t just memorabilia, they have served as important reference documents that have allowed Gary to honour the history of the hotel’s food offering.
A wide range of memorabilia including some old menus. \ Tom Clarke
“We’ve had two big anniversaries recently, our 200th year, and in 2022 it was 100 years since the drafting of Ireland’s first constitution in room 112 of the hotel. As part of the celebrations, I wanted to create a special dining experience, and each dish I picked from different menus, with a focus on those from around 100 years ago.”
This wasn’t without its challenges, especially as some of the older menus were high in fat, as ingredients were preserved due to lack of fridges.
“We had consommé en croute which was served at a King George event in 1925, a stargazy fish pie that featured in 1922, a roast lamb dish following the recipe that was used at an event in the ballroom on St Patrick’s Day in 1924 and a fine apple tart which was served here on Christmas Day that same year. The common theme throughout – lots of pastry. Everything was really high fat at that time, nothing was light,” says Gary.
Gary’s careful study of the menus shows the evolution of the dishes, and the Irish palette.
“Looking at the 1940s, some of the menus had 14, 15 courses. As you move into the 1970s, things get lighter, lots of melon and egg mayonnaise. Steak tartare started to appear, one of my favourites is the deep fried Dublin Bay prawns, that would certainly be written up a bit more delicately these days,” he says, laughing.
“And then there was the era of the trolley, especially in the 80s and 90s. It seemed like everything came out on a trolley – there was the starter trolley, then the main courses were rolled out and served in front of the diners and, of course, the sweet trolley.
The tradition continues, although to a much lesser extent.
“We will still serve up sole on the bone, or a rib eye, or Côte de boeuf in front of our guests, there is a real sense of theatre to it. And some people who have been dining at the Shelbourne for 30,40, 50 years expect it.
“There are a lot of memories in the hotel that we like to honour, especially at Christmas. There is a really special atmosphere this time of year. Recently we had a wedding and the bride’s grandparents also got married here 60 years ago. The couple was able to source the menu from their wedding breakfast and we incorporated it into their celebrations, they were just blown away.
“So many amazing chefs have worked here over the years, and I suppose I feel I am a custodian of that tradition. I hope in years to come, other chefs will be sourcing menus from my time here,” says Gary.
Should that be the case, they will certainly find one dessert that reflects his years as head chef – the irresistible éclair – and Gary has a very personal story about it.
“When I was about seven years old, I was in Baggot Street Hospital for an entire year because of a collapsed lung. The day I got out of hospital, my Dad brought me into the lounge of the Shelbourne Hotel and he got me an éclair, and the taste blew me away. I remember sitting there watching afternoon tea being served, kind of mesmerised. That was where my relationship with the Shelbourne began and for as long as I am head chef here, there will always be an éclair on the menu, a tribute to Dad.”
Personal service
Gary Hughes, executive chef at the Shelbourne Hotel has cooked for some of the most legendary people from all walks of life. \ Tom Clarke
Every guest is important, but some get a little more of a personal service from Gary.
“We had Michelle Obama and her daughters staying at the hotel. I remember asking one of the armed guards, ‘what would the First Lady like for lunch?’ ‘It’s on a need-to-know basis’, I was told. ‘Yes’, I replied, ‘but I do need to know’.
“Another memorable moment was shucking oysters for Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Gerry Adams. We’ve had so many famous faces here through the years, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Pierce Brosnan.”
One of Gary’s favourite memories was when Michael Bublé stayed.
“He was in town for his sold-out concerts and on the Friday evening he was on The Late Late Show. He arrived back to the hotel, sat down at the piano in the lounge and just started a set. It was so impromptu and we knew if word got out, the place would be rammed. So we locked the doors, and whoever was there at the time, well, they were lucky enough to be at the best gig in the city that night,” says Gary.
The chefs at the Shelbourne Hotel have always worked as a team, says executive chef Gary Huges. \ Tom Clarke
“Another moment that made me laugh was when the Irish rugby team were staying a few years ago. They were having a meeting in the morning and they took a break, and headed over to St Stephen’s Green for a bit of fresh air. We thought they would be gone a while and we were re-setting, and next thing we see Brian O’Driscoll heading back in with the team behind him. Turns out they brought the rugby ball to the park for a kick-around, but the groundskeeper kicked them out saying, ‘You can’t be playing ball here, lads’. It doesn’t matter who you are, there are no ball games in the park,” he says.
Gary says despite the high-profile names, he doesn’t get starstruck. There is only one person sitting in the dining room that gets him nervous. “My wife Susan, if something wasn’t right, she would tell me,” Gary says, laughing.
Meat: Dawn Meats. Gary says, “We serve Black Angus steaks and they are the best product out there, in my opinion.”Potatoes and strawberries: Slaney Farms, Co Wexford. “Aisling Boggan knows the standard I want, and never stops to ensure we get it.”Fruit: Keelings, Swords, Co Dublin.Fish: Kish Fish, Co Dublin.Specialised products: Redmonds, Naas, Co Kildare.
The friendly tip of a top hat as you move through the revolving doors, the elegance of the lounge where tastefully-arranged cake stands of afternoon tea adorn the tables and the chatter under the chandeliers of The Horseshoe Bar – there is a reason why The Shelbourne Hotel has stood the test of time, so long in fact, that this year it has celebrated its 200th anniversary.
From the signing of the nation’s constitution, to hosting some of the world’s most famous faces, it’s a hotel heaving in history, and executive head chef Gary Hughes is a man that has been fascinated with its legacy since he started, 16 years ago.
“My first week on the job, I spent three days in a storage house out the back, rummaging through all the menus of the hotel. I was fascinated, I wanted to see it all, some go back to the early 1900s,” says Gary.
These menus aren’t just memorabilia, they have served as important reference documents that have allowed Gary to honour the history of the hotel’s food offering.
A wide range of memorabilia including some old menus. \ Tom Clarke
“We’ve had two big anniversaries recently, our 200th year, and in 2022 it was 100 years since the drafting of Ireland’s first constitution in room 112 of the hotel. As part of the celebrations, I wanted to create a special dining experience, and each dish I picked from different menus, with a focus on those from around 100 years ago.”
This wasn’t without its challenges, especially as some of the older menus were high in fat, as ingredients were preserved due to lack of fridges.
“We had consommé en croute which was served at a King George event in 1925, a stargazy fish pie that featured in 1922, a roast lamb dish following the recipe that was used at an event in the ballroom on St Patrick’s Day in 1924 and a fine apple tart which was served here on Christmas Day that same year. The common theme throughout – lots of pastry. Everything was really high fat at that time, nothing was light,” says Gary.
Gary’s careful study of the menus shows the evolution of the dishes, and the Irish palette.
“Looking at the 1940s, some of the menus had 14, 15 courses. As you move into the 1970s, things get lighter, lots of melon and egg mayonnaise. Steak tartare started to appear, one of my favourites is the deep fried Dublin Bay prawns, that would certainly be written up a bit more delicately these days,” he says, laughing.
“And then there was the era of the trolley, especially in the 80s and 90s. It seemed like everything came out on a trolley – there was the starter trolley, then the main courses were rolled out and served in front of the diners and, of course, the sweet trolley.
The tradition continues, although to a much lesser extent.
“We will still serve up sole on the bone, or a rib eye, or Côte de boeuf in front of our guests, there is a real sense of theatre to it. And some people who have been dining at the Shelbourne for 30,40, 50 years expect it.
“There are a lot of memories in the hotel that we like to honour, especially at Christmas. There is a really special atmosphere this time of year. Recently we had a wedding and the bride’s grandparents also got married here 60 years ago. The couple was able to source the menu from their wedding breakfast and we incorporated it into their celebrations, they were just blown away.
“So many amazing chefs have worked here over the years, and I suppose I feel I am a custodian of that tradition. I hope in years to come, other chefs will be sourcing menus from my time here,” says Gary.
Should that be the case, they will certainly find one dessert that reflects his years as head chef – the irresistible éclair – and Gary has a very personal story about it.
“When I was about seven years old, I was in Baggot Street Hospital for an entire year because of a collapsed lung. The day I got out of hospital, my Dad brought me into the lounge of the Shelbourne Hotel and he got me an éclair, and the taste blew me away. I remember sitting there watching afternoon tea being served, kind of mesmerised. That was where my relationship with the Shelbourne began and for as long as I am head chef here, there will always be an éclair on the menu, a tribute to Dad.”
Personal service
Gary Hughes, executive chef at the Shelbourne Hotel has cooked for some of the most legendary people from all walks of life. \ Tom Clarke
Every guest is important, but some get a little more of a personal service from Gary.
“We had Michelle Obama and her daughters staying at the hotel. I remember asking one of the armed guards, ‘what would the First Lady like for lunch?’ ‘It’s on a need-to-know basis’, I was told. ‘Yes’, I replied, ‘but I do need to know’.
“Another memorable moment was shucking oysters for Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and Gerry Adams. We’ve had so many famous faces here through the years, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Pierce Brosnan.”
One of Gary’s favourite memories was when Michael Bublé stayed.
“He was in town for his sold-out concerts and on the Friday evening he was on The Late Late Show. He arrived back to the hotel, sat down at the piano in the lounge and just started a set. It was so impromptu and we knew if word got out, the place would be rammed. So we locked the doors, and whoever was there at the time, well, they were lucky enough to be at the best gig in the city that night,” says Gary.
The chefs at the Shelbourne Hotel have always worked as a team, says executive chef Gary Huges. \ Tom Clarke
“Another moment that made me laugh was when the Irish rugby team were staying a few years ago. They were having a meeting in the morning and they took a break, and headed over to St Stephen’s Green for a bit of fresh air. We thought they would be gone a while and we were re-setting, and next thing we see Brian O’Driscoll heading back in with the team behind him. Turns out they brought the rugby ball to the park for a kick-around, but the groundskeeper kicked them out saying, ‘You can’t be playing ball here, lads’. It doesn’t matter who you are, there are no ball games in the park,” he says.
Gary says despite the high-profile names, he doesn’t get starstruck. There is only one person sitting in the dining room that gets him nervous. “My wife Susan, if something wasn’t right, she would tell me,” Gary says, laughing.
Meat: Dawn Meats. Gary says, “We serve Black Angus steaks and they are the best product out there, in my opinion.”Potatoes and strawberries: Slaney Farms, Co Wexford. “Aisling Boggan knows the standard I want, and never stops to ensure we get it.”Fruit: Keelings, Swords, Co Dublin.Fish: Kish Fish, Co Dublin.Specialised products: Redmonds, Naas, Co Kildare. 
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