‘It’s an opportunity to be creative’ – Introducing Ireland’s first zero-waste wedding caterer, Orla McAndrew
“I never felt so alive in my life.” Orla McAndrew. Photo: Kirsty Lyons
High-end Event Caterer, Orla McAndrew, is giving sustainably-conscious couples the chance to opt for a five-star zero waste wedding meal, created using rescued, surplus produce. Photo: Kirsty Lyons
Orla McAndrew. Photo: Kirsty Lyons
Age: 43
From: Roscommon, living in Cork.
Life-changing: One day this chef went for a walk. Life wasn’t going her way. She had a Saturday job washing lettuce in the back of a cafe. She had lots of degrees but this mother was feeling beaten by life. “I was 39 and feeling lost and undervalued,” says Orla. “I was going through a bout of depression.” But on the walk, she had an epiphany. “Everything changed in my brain. I realised that I could change.”
High-end Event Caterer, Orla McAndrew, is giving sustainably-conscious couples the chance to opt for a five-star zero waste wedding meal, created using rescued, surplus produce. Photo: Kirsty Lyons
Random: She had just met a woman in a playground who was getting married in six weeks and couldn’t find a caterer. On that walk, Orla decided to do the wedding catering. “I never felt so alive in my life.” It took off from there. Then she set up her own event catering company and it is thriving. Now people know her from appearances on the RTÉ Today Show.
Resilient: During the pandemic, she did freezer meals for the elderly. She also did food boxes with cheese and cured meats, and built a following on social media.
Orla McAndrew. Photo: Kirsty Lyons
The next thing: Now this dynamic woman has another bright idea. She is the first zero-waste wedding caterer in Ireland. “I hate waste. It’ll be created using rescued surplus produce. It’s an opportunity for me to be more creative. I believe in myself and my ability.”
Instagram: @orla_mcandrew_food or omcatering.ie
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