Claire McCabe is orginally from Tramore, Co. Waterford. She has worked with some of the largest companies in Ireland and spent time with the EU Commission in Brussels. She has had extensive exposure to Corporate Social Responsibility delivering Schools Programmes and organising Charity and school events for past employers; so really gets the ethos of the GIY movement.
More recently she has transitioned into retail, and relished the opportunity to source great local and national craft talent for a County Waterford based business. She comes from a family food background, with her father being a well-respected chef and all the family being growing enthusiasts.
With a down-to-earth approach and a determined streak, Claire is the perfect person to steer GROW HQ as it grows.
JB is from a small town called Luneville, not far from the city of Nancy in Lorraine in the north east of France. His early career was in the sciences, biology and sociology. He also worked in childcare until the age of 20 when he decided to study to become a chef. He took an accelerated, intensive course in Rennes, Britany. He moved to Ireland to work in Galway 16 years ago, though you could never tell from his accent that he has been here so long. JB has a wealth of experience in boutique hotels, 4 star hotels and prestigious restaurants and he’s bringing all that knowledge and experience to GROW HQ. He has a strong focus on fresh, local, seasonal products of impeccable quality. He combines this with a lifelong love of traditional methods of preserving veg like pickling, fermenting. Using produce,grown right outside the door in his meals and sauces and preserves will be a dream come true for this chef. Every item served in GROW HQ will be handmade on site under JB’s supervision, from the vinegar to the bread to the ketchup. The secret ingredient will always be time, passion and dedication.
Thomas started cheffing 25 years ago in Austria. He worked around the world from Switzerland to America, and finally to Ireland climbing the kitchen ranks from apprentice all the way to head chef. He met his wife in Borris and they started their family. Four kids later, he's living the dream with a house in the country where he can indulge his passion for seasonal and local produce. Raising his hens, ducks and bees and working in GROW HQ with long time friend, Head Chef JB, is a dream come true for Thomas.
Adriana Musina is originally from Bukovina one of the most beautiful parts of Romania. As a child she grew surrounded by nature, beautiful forests and wild life. She graduated from University with a degree in management, economy and international business. She worked for a few years in accountancy, retail and insurance market for different companies. She came to Ireland for a couple of months and fell in love with the people, the picturesque places and the rain, so she decided to stay and become a part of the beautiful Irish family and work in hospitality.
With a vast management experience in retail and hospitality, she chose to make her transition with GROW HQ because she is constantly trying to develop herself surrounded by professional people from whom she can learn and support her growth. The smell of freshly baked bread and coffee in the morning, and the delicious taste of healthy good food reminds her of her happy childhood, when she learned together with her grandmother and family the importance and joy of growing your own food. She believes that being connected with nature and people is vital for your wellbeing.
Chris was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He emigrated to the UK in 2001 and in 2016 decided Ireland was where he wanted to live after spending 3 months exploring the west coast. He has worked as a chef since he was 20 years old. He enjoys the outdoors and like nothing better than to escape to some wild uninhabited place in his motorhome, when not indulging in his other hobby, which is kitesurfing, sometimes both at the same time.
Eimear Delahunty is a young, enthusiastic, energetic type of girl. Eimear left school in 2010 and went on to study Social Care for a year in Waterford College of Further Education but realised her passion was growing and being outdoors.
She began her journey growing her own fruit and vegetables at home. She realised growing wasn't as easy as it looked and that she needed more knowledge to grow successfully. So Eimear went on and studied two years in Horticulture with the Grow Project in Ferrybank, Waterford. During her two years studying she gathered many skills and talents to cover all aspects of growing good veg.
Eimear is hoping to put what she has learned to good use by helping people to enjoy good local vegetables that her and the GIY team produce.
Emma, a northern lass from Manchester, England has spent most of her working life in the hospitality industry. Starting off waitressing in some of the Cotswolds finest restaurants Emma achieved her dream of opening her own restaurant in Cheltenham in 2005. Emma sold the restaurant after 5 successful and happy years and after the birth of her first child as she was expecting her second.
Emma and her family moved to Waterford in 2012 where she worked in the family business for 4 years before returning to her first love, hospitality with the wonderful team at Grow HQ.
Paul a born and bred blaa boy, loves coffee, cycling and anything outdoorsy. Always on the go as he can't sit still for 2 seconds...perhaps the coffee life is to blame for that.
