A LEADING chef in Northern Ireland will take on a new dual role for a prestigious hotel group it was announced this week.
Hastings Hotels has appointed Damian Tumilty as the Executive Head Chef of its iconic Europa Hotel in Belfast.
That is in addition to his existing role at their 5-star Grand Central Hotel which is also located in the city.
Tumilty will lead the combined team of more than 50 kitchen staff across both properties, the group confirmed this week.
The chef has led the culinary teams at the Grand Central Hotel since it opened in 2018.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland 23rd July 2025Damian Tumilty (centre) is pictured with Head Chefs, Stevie Bracken of the Europa Hotel and Tom Mulcahy of the Grand Central (Pic: Jonathan Porter)
“I am thrilled to be the Executive Head Chef at two of the biggest hotels in Northern Ireland,” he said this week.
“Since joining Hastings Hotels over seven years ago, I have evolved as a chef, and a person,” he added.
“This new appointment represents the next step in my career.”
He explained: “The Europa Hotel and Grand Central Hotel have their own distinctive culinary offering, but both are known for their excellent dining experiences with creative menus featuring the very best local produce.
“For a chef, this is a very exciting challenge and gives me the opportunity to showcase my extensive skill set - one night I could be creating a private dining event for 12 people in The Cavern at the Grand Central and the next, I could be overseeing a 400-guest event at the Europa.”
Damian Tumilty (centre) is pictured with the Europa Hotel’s Head Chef, Stevie Bracken and Head Chef of the Causerie Restaurant, Charlie Maguire; and the Grand Central Hotel’s Junior Sous Chef, Luke Dunbarr and Chef de Partie, Barry Forde (Pic: Jonathan Porter)Tumilty has announced the appointment of two experienced head chefs to lead daily kitchen operations at the two sites.
Tom Mulcahy will be in place at the Grand Central and Stevie Bracken takes up the reins at the Europa.
“Their leadership will allow Damian to focus on innovation, talent development, and raising the bar even further in both hotels’ culinary offerings,” a Hastings Hotels spokesperson said.
Tumilty added: “This new role wouldn’t have been possible without the brilliant culinary teams at both hotels.
“I’m looking forward to working with the teams at both hotels to identify training and development opportunities and develop their skill sets, which will be particularly beneficial for our younger team members.
“With our food offering I’m committed to pushing the boundaries further, evolving our menus and continuing to create memorable dining experiences for our guests.”
