William Barry

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You want to hear crazy?Fresh out of college, William Barry, a guy whose DNA would identify him as the son of Annie Barry of the legendary Annie's Restaurant in Ballydehob, and nephew of Tom Ferguson, patriarch of Schull's legendary Gubbeen Farm, takes a job in Saudi Arabia as sales manager for a dairy firm. And, by the way, at college Mr Barry had been acting as a student marketing consultant to pubs and nightclubs in Cork.

Off to Saudi? After pubs and nightclubs and college and Gubbeen pork and Annie's Restaurant? You know how this has to end, don't you? “Quit after three months. Couldn't deal with the lack of drink, women, and pork. Especially the pork.” We understand, William. And it's best to get your big mistakes over early. And big mistakes can have serendipitous consequences: “After Saudi I went travelling for 6 months and got a job as a deckhand on a classic boat called Creole. The longest wooden sailing boat in the world, it belongs to the Gucci family.” Turned out good after all.

William Barry is pure West Cork, born, bred, and fed. Being reared in his Mum's restaurant didn't just give him a love of good food. It also instilled an appreciation of the restaurant business, an appreciation of what works with food, of what makes a place special, of what makes customers choose this place to eat, instead of that place. He studied commerce in UCC, graduating in 2010, which makes him still wet behind the ears, even when he isn't sailing. He has been a nightclub promoter and sales rep and, unlike most young men, he seems comfortable with irony and humour. Which might explain those three months in Saudi. Or the fact that he plays golf. Mr Barry is going to be a player.