63: Lorraine Heskin, CEO of The Gourmet Food Parlour

Hailing from Barna in Co. Galway, Lorraine Heskin studied in University of Limerick before heading off to New York for 4 years working in a diverse range of food businesses. On returning to Dublin in 2006, she founded the Gourmet Food Parlour, opening its first 25-seater café in Dun Laoghaire.Since then, it has evolved to become Dublin’s most trusted restaurant group, with 12 locations across Dublin, Meath and Galway including a state-of-the-art catering kitchen in Santry. In 2023, they opened 3 unique dining concepts inside the iconic Arnotts Dublin department store, and now have a fourth there, as well as two in Brown Thomas, employing 320 people in total.As CEO, Lorraine’s hands on approach to running the business is the driving force behind the company. Her dedication, determination, and hard work filters down throughout the company. She was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 2023 and recently won CEO of the year at the inaugural Business Post, Leadership and Excellence Awards. She has her own consultancy business established where she works with female entrepreneurs on their business journey, guiding and encouraging them to grow and scale.This is the 63rd episode in the Davy podcast series ‘Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly’ with special guest Lorraine Heskin, CEO of The Gourmet Food Parlour.