To celebrate Neven Maguire’s cookware range in Dunnes Stores, Irish Farmers Journal readers have the chance to win an exclusive day of cooking with Neven in his cookery school in Blacklion, using his Cook with Neven Maguire range.

Five readers (plus guest) will have a day of culinary delight, arriving to Neven’s cookery school on the morning of Friday 27 May. After a welcome reception of tea and scones, Neven will welcome our winners into the cookery school to introduce them to his Cook with Neven Maguire range and to present the recipes that will be prepared. The winners will be guided through each dish by Neven and will get to enjoy these dishes throughout the day. This will be the first time Neven will be opening the doors to his cookery school since the pandemic so it’s a real treat.

To be in with a chance to win, answer this question. In what county is MacNean House and Restaurant. Send your name, address and phone number as well as the answer to Cook with Neven Competition, Irish Farmers Journal, Irish Farm Centre, Bluebell, Dublin 12 or fill out the form below. The closing date for entries is Monday 16 May 2022 and winners must be available to attend the cookery school on Friday 27 May 2022.

The hum of a buzzing restaurant, the aroma of herbs and spices radiating through a crowded dining room, the presentation of a stunning dish. When diners visit MacNean House & Restaurant, there is a certain curiosity about what happens behind the kitchen doors. But what many may be surprised to know is that Neven Maguire and his talented team of chefs are using the same pots and pans that many customers have at home. In 2019, Neven Maguire launched his cookery range in Dunnes Stores and he says the quality is so good, it can handle the pressure of a commercial kitchen.

Neven says: “For years, whenever I did a cookery demonstration, the three most popular questions I would get asked were, “how to cook the perfect steak, what pots and pans do I use and what knives do I use?” I knew that people wanted guidance on finding cookware that was good quality, easy to use and could stand the test of time.”

Cookware range

So when Dunnes Stores approached Neven to develop his own range of cookware he knew there was an appetite for it. “There was one thing that Mrs Heffernan said that really convinced me. She said, “Neven, if the cookware isn’t good enough for you to use in your kitchen or cookery school, we’re not selling it.” I thought wow, they really want quality here and that’s when I decided to get on board.”

With that, Neven was determined to put products to the test. “If I was going to put my name and brand to something, I was determined to trial and test them. Because I wanted something practical and functional. I didn’t want something that would just look beautiful and then sit in a kitchen cabinet. The products had to be used and enjoyed, to stand the test of time.”

With a team of 14 chefs, serving a nine-course dinner, five nights a week in MacNean House, this was the high-pressure environment to really put the products to the test. “Finding the perfect knives for the set was a lot of trial and error, we wanted them light but durable, to feel comfortable in your hand as well as having longevity. I distributed them to the team and used them myself night after night. We tried a lot of samples before settling on the right ones. One of the newest knives in the range now, is the Santoku knife and it’s made from high carbon Japanese steel. Its like a semi-professional knife. It’s got a riveted handle which gives you extra grip, it nice and light and a good size. It’s a knife that I now use myself every day and I give one to all my new young chefs when they start with us to get them to master their technique.

“With the pots and pans, we assessed how they heat up, are they easy to hold, are the handles comfortable, will they go in the oven? Non-stick was key so eggs for example don’t coat the pan or meat doesn’t stick. Introducing the Tri-ply technology was also a game changer. Essentially this is steel with three layers and it heats up exceptionally fast, much quicker than other pots. Its uniform so it works on gas and electric hobs as well as induction hobs. Another important factor is that the handles are a separate entity to the pot, they are bolted on which means that while the pan itself can get exceptionally hot, the handles don’t-such an important safety factor. Again, we went through a lot of products before settling on the right ones.”

In the kitchen

True to his word, Neven now uses a lot of the products in his kitchen. “I would say the range is so good, it’s semi-commercial. So now we use all the pots and pans as well as the knives in the kitchen. Any piece of fish that’s served in the restaurant, whether it’s scallops or monkfish is coming straight from my pans because the non-stick is that good. I’m also very happy with the bakeware. With the gold finish on the baking tins, they look very attractive but they are real workhorse products. They have a high performance, non-stick Xynflon coating , they are PTFE and PFOA free and now we make all our brown bread for the restaurant in them.”

Neven also has a few personal favourites. “At home, I use the skillet pan a lot. It’s fantastic for curries, risottos, stews and soups. With the Tri-ply, it heats up very fast and then you can pop it into the oven which makes it really versatile. The tempered glass lid means you can check on your meal without disturbing the cooking process and it’s just one of those products that I’ll be using for years to make family dinners.” He is also a big fan of the garlic crusher. Laughing, he says: “This is a real hero product. One of the things that really bother cooks is a bad garlic crusher where you have to pick out the garlic afterwards. This is such a simple, practical press and it’s sold out a few times over as word has got around about how useful it is.”

While the products are durable and reliable, Neven has some tips to get the most out of your cookware. “The non-stick pots and pans are great products but you do have to mind them. Never use anything sharp on them or a steel whisk because the non-stick can peel if damaged, no matter how good it is. Use a spatula or silicon utensils. When storing them, don’t load a lot of pots and pans on top of your frying pan as it could damage the non-stick. And while they are all dishwasher proof, and tried and tested time after time, you will get a longer lifespan out of them if you wash with warm soapy water and a soft cloth. Also with the knives, I would recommend using the knife block to protect the blade so they aren’t rubbing or chipping against other utensils in a drawer.”

While the core range of Cook with Neven is now well established in Dunnes Stores, Neven says he and the team continue to learn and improve. “I’m always listening to our home cooks, getting feedback in the restaurant or through social media. One of the things that their feedback inspired was our silicon accessories, the likes of our universal spoon and the silicon whisk as they are much better to use on our non-stick pans. We have also brought out a new 10.5in plate as our current plate can be too big for small dishwashers or microwaves. So we are all the time listening and improving.”

Neven says he also wants to keep the range fresh and interesting. “I have a real passion for plates,” he laughs. “The current range is white and elegant, very classy and timeless. But the plates in my own restaurant have inspired some ideas which I will be looking forward to launching. And then as we head towards Christmas, there will be a real focus on giftware. Cutlery is also something we are currently working on and in the future, some glassware so it’s very exciting.”

Surreal

While the Cook with Neven range is available in Dunnes Stores around the country and by online order (except for delivery of knives), Neven says it is still surreal to see his range in shops. “It looks fantastic and I really am very proud of what we have developed. The team in Dunnes Stores is fantastic and they listened and believed in me from the very start. If there was something I didn’t like, there was no argument, it just was not considered an option if it didn’t have my approval.

“Most importantly, it goes back to a core ethos that I have always held, whether it’s on my TV shows, in my cookbooks or my recipes in the Irish Farmers Journal. I always want my cooking to be fun, accessible, affordable and good quality, and now that comes across in my cookware as well.”