Allen, Myrtle

Born in Cork in 1924, Myrtle Allen is an Irish Michelin-star-winning chef. Together with her late husband, Ivan, she bought Ballymaloe House in East Cork in 1948 and opened a hotel and later, in 1964, a restaurant.

She pioneered placing local, seasonal food to the fore, a philosophy synonymous with the now internationally renowned Ballymaloe House and Restaurant and espoused by the world s top chefs. In doing so, she created the road map for Ireland s current status as a force to be reckoned with on the global culinary scene.