7 August 2020
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
Heather O’Sullivan from Kealkill, near Bantry, is one of Ireland’s best banana bread bakers having been chosen winner of the ‘Best Gluten-Free’ category award in a recent nationwide competition to find Ireland’s Best Banana Bread Recipes conducted by celebrity chef and RTE presenter, Donal Skehan with the support of banana distributors, Fyffes.
Mum to two children, aged six and eight, Heather graduated in Nursing at UCC and is working as a nurse in Bantry hospital.
An avid baker from a young age, Heather says she always had an interest in food and is ‘passionate about nutrition, using wholefoods and making healthy treats for all the family to enjoy’ – evident on her Instagram page @heathers.nutrition.photography.
Commenting on her ‘Chocolate Banana Bread’ winning recipe, Heather says: “I’ve always had a competitive nature and used to take part in baking competitions at agricultural shows along with my mother and grandmother. When I heard of the Fyffes Great Banana Bread Bake off, it was only natural that I would want to take part”.
The overall Best Banana Bread recipe award was won by Gillian Carney from Cobh, who also topped the category for Best Ingredients. Other category winners were: Cáit Flood from Swords (Best Junior Baker under 10 years); Isabelle Sexton from Roscommon Town (Best Junior Baker 10 years and over); Niamh Goodison from Wexford Town (Best Vegan) and Ciara Kilmartin from Ferbane, Offaly (Best Styling).
Reflecting on what he called “the volume and quality” of entries received, Donal Skehan said: “Ireland has some exceedingly creative and talented home bakers. It was refreshing to see such imaginative ideas, ingredients and methods being shared, particularly amongst junior and dietary-restricted entrants”.
