John Whelan, the chef who owns and runs The Devil’s Menu boutique cookery school in Kilkenny, Ireland, has chosen Cosentino’s Dekton ultra-compact surface for his kitchen worktops. 

The kitchen has been designed by Amy Mullins of Evoke German Kitchens, who has used the Dekton Trilium chosen by the chef for the work surfaces to give the kitchen an industrial chic look, suitable for both food preparation and dining.

The Devil’s Menu Boutique Cookery School is in John’s own home and hosts cookery courses along with 'chef’s table' evenings with wine tasting, during which John prepares dishes, teaching guests how to cook them as he does so.

The room had to serve as a functional professional kitchen as well as an area that would create the right ambience for an exclusive chef’s table experience. 

The centrepiece is a large island with bar seating. The flexural strength of Dekton accommodates an overhang for the bar seats to go under. The island enables customers to get up-close and hands-on during cookery sessions. 

John says: “The island is the most important design feature of the kitchen. I was going to go with the traditional stainless steel look that most professional kitchens tend to use but when I was introduced to Dekton and all its advantages I had to have it.” 

Eager for the kitchen to incorporate industrial designs, John selected Trilium from the Industrial collection. 

“The look of Trilium is stunning,” he says. “Its appearance of oxidised steel fitted perfectly with my theme. It’s so surprisingly tactile. My guests often comment on the island but they are astounded when I place hot pans or serve food directly on the worktop. It’s also easy to clean. Dekton ticks all the boxes. It’s unlike any other surface I’ve worked with before.

“Customers sit at the island for up to three hours as I prepare dishes, so it was vital that the surface was inviting and comfortable.”