Le Skinny Chef - the French man behind the award-winning brand representing Laois at the National Enterprise final

When Aymar Gourdet arrives at the LaoisToday offices a couple of minutes ahead of his scheduled podcast interview, it doesn't take long to learn that this is a man that absolutely loves what he's doing. His enthusiasm and energy is palpable and he bounds up the stairs. He's the French man behind the award-winning Le Skinny Chef range of pestos, chutneys, soups and sauces and this week he represents Laois at the National Enterprise Awards in the Mansion House in Dublin. He runs his operation out of a unit in Clonminam, tasting everything he produces and delivering most of it to supermarkets around the country. His product can be found in almost 80 SuperValu stores around the country and also Dunne's Stores and Aldi. Thirty three years after first coming to Ireland as a 17-year-old to work as a chef, the French accent is still strong, intensely proud of his roots though he has lived and worked all his adult life in Ireland. He grew up in a family guest house in Normandy, moved to Paris to train as a chef and then to Dublin to work before he was even 18. He has lived in Ireland ever since. Initially he worked in restaurants in Dublin, learned English during his split shifts and opened his own restaurant in Kildare Town when he was 26 which he ran for 16 years, through boom and bust. But he craved a new challenge and his experience in the restaurant showed him there was a market for his own range of sauces, which he founded in 2016. In this latest episode of the LoveLaois Business Podcast he talks about his journey, the story behind his nick name, his hopes for the future and the supports he has received from the Laois Local Enterprise Office.