Sean Kelly,artisan butcher
I love what I do because. . . it's in my blood.
When I put on my apron. . . I'm not going to work; I've never gone to work in my life – that's how much I enjoy what I do.
My working day .. . never really ends
The things about my work I enjoy most are. . I genuinely love meeting the local farmers who we buy lambs and heifers from.
The job has changed a lot over the years. . . but the Kelly's puddings we are becoming known for are exactly the same traditional puddings people in Newport have enjoyed for years.
The best advice I've ever been given was. . . from my father, who always told us to "stick to what you know".
To secure the future of Ireland's food heritage we need. . . to look to our roots and stay true to what we were traditionally good at, using natural, pure ingredients.
Doing business in Ireland in the food sector is . .. challenging, but always interesting, because I'm dealing with people.
I'm most proud of. . . a card I received on June 16th, 2005 from then President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, about Kelly's Black Pudding.
My favourite place to eat is. . . the back of Inishoo Island on Clew Bay, eating mackerel we've just taken off the line and thrown onto the barbeque.
If I wasn't doing this. . . I'd probably drive my poor bride mad.
My earliest food memory is . .. being made to eat porridge by my father.
The best thing I've ever eaten. . . is spring lamb sweetbreads and ratatouille cooked by my friend John Gavin.
My dream dinner party guests would be. . . the bride (Kathleen Kelly), Princess Grace (from Newport, of course), Mary McAleese (so I could thank her for the postcard), Roy Keane, Mick O'Dwyer, Enda Kenny and Gay Byrne.
And I'd cook them. . . I'd have to call in my friends to help with that one, but we'd have Kelly's black pudding cigars with celeriac remoulade and Bramley apple batons to start, followed by a medium rare rack of Atlantic Sea Spray lamb, and finishing up with my all-time favourite, tiramisu.
Five things I always have in my pantry are. . . homemade brown bread, Cuinneog butter, Gerry Hasset's smoked salmon from Achill, the makings of a good fry, and free-range eggs.
When I'm not working, I like to. . . go out fishing on Clew Bay with my brother and business partner Seamus.
I'm passionate about. . . my hometown Newport and its traditions
I wish I was better at. . . singing.
I often imagine myself. . . thinner, but that's not likely to happen today or tomorrow.
Not many people know this about me, but. . . I don't drink tea or coffee.
My guilty pleasure is. . . Drambuie.
In conversation with Marie-Claire Digby
