Daniel Lambert

My passion for cooking started at a young age. My grandfather was a head chef in the Belgian army, so it was in my family. I started cooking when I was eight and got addicted to it. I found that I could express myself through cooking.

I originally started on a software engineering course, but my love for cooking and experimenting with food led me to switch directions and enrol on the Bachelor of Arts in Culinary Arts.

I am currently employed by Harveys Point Hotel in Donegal. Working in Harvey’s Point Hotel alongside my study allowed me to practice what I learned in class.

The Killybegs campus also boasted an onsite restaurant and bar that was open to the public. This was where I met the employer from Harvey’s Point. Fine dining is my area, and I won three gold medals for Taste of Donegal. I was also an International Dairy Chef finalist for 2020, which the French Embassy organised.

When the pandemic hit, I started doing simple food hacks on TikTok, and they went viral. One of the first videos that I published was Doritos cheese bites. After posting three videos, I was contacted by FM104 and offered a cooking series.

I started taking it more seriously and planned out my videos every week. I studied food marketing as part of the course at Killybegs, which boosted my skills.

It was crazy! Supermarket chains contacted me for sponsorship options, and brands sought me out for collaborative work. I even appeared on Good Morning America on St. Patricks Day, cooking some classic Irish dishes. I now work with an agency, and I have secured brand deals with great companies that are relevant and complement my work.

It’s so ironic how it changed my life and my career. I now work part-time at Harvey’s Point and continue with my love for food creation and marketing. I am writing a book that is due to be published by the end of this year, and that’s very exciting too. The culinary world has changed and there are a lot more opportunities nowadays.