Rachel Allen has been passionate about food ever since she was a young girl and wiled the days away baking with her mum Hallfríður and sister Simone at home in Dublin. She studied at the famous Ballymaloe Cookery School, where she met her husband Isaac, and has worked there since the ‘90s. 20 years ago her television career took off, catapulting her to fame in Ireland, the UK, the US and beyond.
Cooking and baking has always played an important role in Rachel’s life but, when it came to her career, she originally wanted to be a fashion designer. However, after some careful consideration she decided to pursue her childhood passion and as a result is now one of Ireland’s most celebrated chefs and food writers. Rachel describes her work life as “hectic” but says she is definitely not a workaholic and loves to spend time with family in Cork, where she has lived for many years.
Her and Isaac’s three creative children are their pride and joy, and she loves seeing them live out their dreams. Eldest son Joshua runs a stone carving business and trains in MMA, while middle child Lucca is based in England thanks to his thriving motorsport career. Youngest daughter Scarlett, meanwhile, is showing promise as a talented cook and Rachel would be “delighted” to welcome her into the family business one day.
But, “you have to balance the pride with the nerves”, as the mum-of-three admits she will always worry about her children, even as they get older. Here, Rachel invit.
