Great recipe for happiness
TV chef Neven Maguire and wife Amelda's busy lives are about to get busier, says Andrea Smith
When chef Neven Maguire proposed to his wife Amelda, he chose to do it at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. He had two reasons for doing it there, he says, the first of which was because it was romantic.
"And if she had said no, I would have chucked her in," he jokes, smiling at his pretty wife who is expecting their twins next month.
"I knew Amelda was 'the one,' and she's the most thoughtful and considerate person you could ever meet."
The charming and upbeat Neven is from Blacklion in Cavan, where his celebrated restaurant MacNean House is located. Amelda is from Fermanagh, "just 15 minutes away," although they actually met in Central Park nightclub in Galway in 2001.
Neven had a rare weekend off work having just arrived back from representing Ireland at the Bocuse d'Or, the world cookery competition held every two years in Lyon, France, and was visiting his sister. Amelda had moved to Galway a few months earlier upon her return from Boston, where she had worked for five years as a nanny.
Neven and Amelda recognised each other because they had chatted briefly in Enniskillen a few months previously. He thought she was very attractive, and the following day they went to the Cliffs of Moher on a date.
And even though the award-winning chef was most amused when Amelda lost her footing a couple of times as it was very windy, she didn't hold it against him. Then they went to Dublin, as Neven had a slot on RTE's Open House every Tuesday for a period of six years, where they dined at Bang.
Even now, 11 years later, Neven can recall that they had a great meal of scallops with potato puree, pancetta and garlic butter, a salad of grilled vegetables and a chocolate brownie. And very much enjoyed each other's company.
Six months after they first met, Amelda had a bad car accident in which she suffered a broken knee and pelvis. She was confined to a wheelchair for three months, so moved back home to Fermanagh to recuperate. Neven visited daily, which the lovely Amelda says brought them even closer together.
After recovering, she got a job in Enniskillen Credit Union, where she remained for eight years.
The couple celebrated their wedding on December 23, 2006, at the Nuremore hotel in Monaghan.
Amelda recovered well from the accident, however, due to the broken pelvis, she will give birth to the twins by Caesarean section. She expects to go into hospital next month -- around week 38 -- and it will all be a great surprise as they have no idea yet of the babies' genders. Both parents-to-be are excited, if not just a little apprehensive about the big changes having a family will bring.
Neven is a twin himself and has a brother David, a teacher who is getting married in March. They are very close, but non-identical.
"He's much better looking and slimmer, as he doesn't enjoy food as much as I do," Neven laughs, adding that his parents Joe and Vera didn't know they were having twins until Neven, a tiny two-pounder, was born and the doctor realised there was another four-pound baby inside. Neven is one of nine children, while Amelda is an only child.
Neven's parents started MacNean's and ran it until 2001, when he took it over. Although all of his siblings worked in the business growing up -- the family lived above the restaurant -- Neven, who wanted to be a chef from the age of 12, was the only one who ended up making a career of it.
His dad Joe was tragically killed in a car crash 13 years ago.
And then a couple of years later, just prior to Amelda's accident, Neven's mum Vera was seriously injured in a freak accident, when a wheel flew off a passing car and hit her in the back of the head as she entered a shop. She was in a coma for two weeks but thankfully survived the accident. She has also recently received the all-clear from lung cancer, and according to Neven is very excited about the impending births of her new grandchildren and son David's wedding.
Amelda's parents, Brian and Eileen Maguire -- she handily didn't have to change her name when she got married -- are also looking forward to the babies' arrival.
All three grandparents will be a great help to the couple, as Amelda also works in the business, responsible for running the front of house.
"A lot of people ask how we can work together, but I think it works well because we respect each other," says Amelda. "Neven is so easy to be around. He is always great fun and never moody. He just wakes up every morning and jumps out of bed in good form."
The pair live five minutes away from the restaurant and Amelda says she was lucky to get Neven to move even that far away. They say that they are preparing for the fact that the relatively spontaneous life they have enjoyed will shortly go out the window. Amelda thinks that having twins might just cure Neven of his habit of leaving doors open all over the place.
Despite the fact that the country is in the midst of a recession, Neven is delighted to report that the restaurant is flourishing and in what has got to be a testament to the excellence of the business, has just enjoyed its busiest year yet.
He acknowledges that his television profile has given the business a good boost, and is delighted with the current RTE 10-part series, Home Chef, in which he demonstrates how to cook easy, everyday food using good local produce.
Neven also has a great iPhone/iPad app, iCook with Neven Maguire, which is available to download for €4.99.
"We're very proud of the restaurant," he says. "We try to give our customers a great food experience, wonderful, attentive service and great value. Amelda does a wonderful job looking after the customers, and I'm so lucky to have her. She really is very special."
Watch Neven on 'Home Chef', RTE One, Thursdays at 8.30 pm. MacNean House, Blacklion, Co Cavan. Tel: 071 985 3022, www.nevenmaguire.com
- Andrea Smith
