TORONTO — A cold winter’s night was no match for members of Toronto’s travel industry, who braved the wind chill to meet and dine with Chef JR Ryall, the celebrated pastry chef of Ballymaloe House Hotel, County Cork, Ireland.

Co-hosted by Tourism Ireland, the event took place downtown at The Chefs’ House, part of George Brown College’s Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

With more than a decade as the head pastry chef at the Ballymaloe, Chef Ryall has gained international recognition for his artistry, blending Irish tradition with global inspiration, says Sandra Moffatt, Director, Canada for Tourism Ireland.

In addition to his work at Ballymaloe, Chef Ryall is also the author of ‘Ballymaloe Desserts: Iconic Recipes and Stories.’

As Moffat notes, “Ballymaloe House is an Irish icon; a family-owned 32-bedroom country house hotel and restaurant, nestled in the lush countryside of East Cork. It’s a tranquil countryside retreat with luxurious accommodation, a celebrated farm-to-fork dining experience, 300 acres of land and the very best of Irish hospitality; internationally recognised as the birthplace of modern Irish cuisine.”

Highlights at last night’s event included Irish Cheddar Cheese Croquettes with Ballymaloe Relish, Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Pickle on Ballymaloe Brown Bread, and Carrageen Moss Pudding with Irish Coffee Sauce.

Attendees also heard Chef Ryall’s insights into the artistry of pastry and his passion for Irish cuisine.

As Chef Ryall tells it, as early as age 4, his favourite TV show was Irish chef Darina Allen’s ‘Simply Delicious’. As a child he got to meet Allen and she gifted him her cookbook, also called ‘Simply Delicious’, with an inscription that read, ‘For John Robert, who will be a great chef when he grows up. Love Darina Allen, March 1992.’

“That sowed a seed with me, that small gesture, I’ve never forgotten it. It really left an imprint and a mark,” he said.

By the age of 15, he was working Saturdays at Ballymaloe alongside another famed Irish chef, Myrtle Allen, who was Darina Allen’s mother-in-law.  Myrtle Allen opened Ballymaloe as a restaurant in 1964. “I met Myrtle Allen, and she dazzled me, and over the next 15 years she taught me how to taste, and how to cook,” said Chef Ryall. “She also taught me the importance of doing things that make me happy. And for me that’s cooking.”

Along with the 32-room hotel and restaurant, Ballymaloe is also home to the Ballymaloe Cookery School, offering a variety of cooking courses and demonstrations for visitors looking for a hands-on experience at the organic farm.

“It’s a different world when people come [to Ballymaloe], a real escape,” said Chef Ryall.

Ballymaloe is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World and a founding member of Ireland’s Blue Book. Learn more at ireland.com.