Cork’s Grande Dame, the Imperial Hotel, has announced the appointment of new Executive Head Chef, Ali Honour, who is well known in Cork foodie circles. The announcement coincides with their celebrations marking one year since the launch of vibrant cocktail hot spot Sketch.

The appointment of Ali Honour (formerly of popular Cork eatery Ali’s Kitchen) to the position of Executive Head Chef at Sketch and The Imperial Hotel is exciting news on the Cork food scene and represents a strategic new direction for the hotel. Hotel GM Bastien Peyraud, who took over the role two years ago, has put a strong focus on the hotel as a stand-alone dining and social destination that serves quality local, sustainable food.

Commenting on the appointment, and the hotel’s strong food ethos Bastien Peyraud said, “We want to become known for heartfelt food in the heart of the city and this is exactly what Ali creates, so we are very excited to announce her appointment. Our new food direction will include more homemade comfort foods packed with flavour, which modern diners crave when eating out, while still maintaining the style and sophistication you would expect from a luxury boutique hotel.”

A new brunch menu will launch in time for the one-year celebrations at Sketch. The Imperial has also organised two fabulous, brunch events on the weekend of 8th/9th October to showcase the new menu.

Bastien continued “We are thrilled to celebrate a hugely successful first year and are excited to continue to elevate and innovate both our food and cocktail offering. I think the appointment of Ali to the Executive Head Chef role will bring a lot of passion, creativity, and flavour to the table. Our commitment to sustainability informs everything we do, and she genuinely shares that ethos, making it a great fit. As a leader Ali prides herself on bringing the whole culinary team along on the journey, whether it’s encouraging creativity in terms of designing new dishes or offering ongoing training to upskill everyone in the kitchen to help them progress in their career and allow individual talents to blossom.”