Born and raised in Canada, Scott Kapitan brings over twenty years cooking experience, from various styled restaurants and hotels, having a strong foundation in French culinary technique. He previously owned his own restaurant for over nine years with a focus on fine dining and tasting menus using local produce.

Scott joined Muckross Hotel & Spa – a 5-star landmark hotel on the Ring of Kerry – as Executive Chef in 2020. We chat with Scott about how he started a career in cheffing, the importance of sustainability and local produce in his cooking and his favourite restaurant to eat at when he’s not in the kitchen…

What inspired you to pursue a career as a chef, and how did your journey lead you to Muckross Park Hotel?

My first venture into kitchens was not to become a chef but to earn enough money to pay for art college.  I started as a kitchen porter in a local restaurant where I grew up in Canada.  I was quickly promoted to chef apprentice where I learned some basics.  It wasn’t until a few years later when I moved to Toronto and had the opportunity to work with some very talented chefs that I developed a passion for being a chef.

I worked my way through a few kitchens in the city and began to receive some recognition from local critics when I became head chef of Crush Wine Bar. After 10 years in Toronto, with a desire to get out of the city and an ambition to have my own establishment, I moved to a developing wine region in southern Ontario, Prince Edward Country.  

As a family effort with my wife (pastry chef) and daughter (her very first job was making boxes for takeaway pastries!), we opened The Bloomfield Carriage House—a small farm-to-table restaurant and bakery which we operated for 9 years.  In 2016 after a disabling bike versus car accident which my wife sustained, we sold the restaurant and decided to relocate to Ireland to be closer to family living in Ireland and England.  I initially took a few jobs to get a feel for the Irish climate and understand the lay of the land.

I chose a few junior positions to start at properties; Brooklodge Hotel, Macreddin Village, House Restaurant, Cliffhouse Hotel, Waterford, Cahernane Hotel, Killarney while I waited for the right opportunity to join a team as head chef.  

Muckross Park Hotel & Spa came along at the perfect moment, and I have been here for the past 5 years as Executive Chef.  I never did make it back to art school…

How would you describe your cooking style in three words? 

Seasonal, Refined, Artistic

Muckross Park is located in the heart of Killarney. How does the surrounding landscape influence your cooking?

Every morning driving into Killarney the road winds downward into town giving breathtaking views of the mountains and lakes.  The beauty of the forest foliage when you approach the hotel offers the first signs of the seasons and is a reminder of what bounty to expect.  

In the Spring you can smell the wild garlic and leeks growing behind the stone walls in our gardens.  Deer sightings throughout the trees remind you of game season.  We try to incorporate these elements directly onto our menus.   

What role does sustainability play in your kitchen?

Sustainability is an everyday consideration in my kitchen.  Menus are written to minimise waste and source ingredients as close as possible to the hotel. Strict portioning control is a priority, especially with animal proteins.  Vegetable-based dishes have a lower carbon footprint on the environment and we try to build upon that with recipe development. 

Energy consumption is monitored and efforts to reduce usage are instilled in our chefs. We keep looking at ways to remove single-use plastics from our storage vessels.

What motivates you when designing a menu, and how do you balance creativity with seasonality?

Menu design is guided by quality ingredients which are in season, or which are produced by passionate producers.  I love speaking with suppliers about their products. Their inspiration is contagious. Creativity comes easily when working with great produce that you want to highlight on a plate. 

Is there a local ingredient or produce you love working with that guests might not expect?

Highbanks Farm Organic Apple Treacle and Seaweed. Not together of course, but as a Canadian, I have a lot of recipes that use maple syrup, and I have found I can substitute the treacle, especially in my bread recipes with great success.  It’s not quite the same but equally delicious.  I also love Japanese food having worked with Japanese chefs in Toronto so I love using Dashi for different dishes.

Have you had any mentors in your career, and what’s the best advice they gave you?

A few over the years, each offering a different perspective relative to my level of experience at the time.  

To summarise; keep your head down, eyes open and mouth closed.  There will be time for questions but sometimes experience answers them for you.

Favourite cookbook?

There are too many to mention and my favourite will change depending on what I’m in the mood for, but To the Bone by Chef Paul Liebrandt & Andrew Friedman is a standout.

Restaurants you will never get sick of visiting (Ireland and abroad)? 

Kingdom 1795 in Killorglin was my local go-to for years but regrettably, it has just recently closed. When I go abroad, I always try to experience somewhere new to experience but when visiting my daughter, I’ll always go back to Pophams Bakery / London Fields. It’s an amazing bakery by day with amazing homemade pasta in the evening. 

What has influenced your cooking the most?

Travel.  Exposure to different people and cultures has been invaluable for development, creative growth and inspiration.

What do you do when you hit a creative block in the kitchen?

Book a holiday, read a book not about food to reset my brain and return to the kitchen with a fresh outlook.

What’s your favourite staff meal to cook?

Mixed vegetable curry with ginger-scented rice.  Full of flavour, nutritious and doesn’t slow you down through the day. 

Can you share a memorable moment or highlight from your time at Muckross Park?

I was voted manager of the year by my colleagues in 2023.  It meant more than winning chef of the year for the iNua group because it wasn’t about meeting targets and numbers.  

I won the award because the teams I work with daily side by side felt I was leading them successfully and they appreciated my efforts to build a healthy work environment.  I am proud of the team I work with.

What advice would you give to aspiring chefs?

Have patience with yourself as you learn new skills.  There will be times in your development when you may plateau and accepting this as a natural part of the learning process will lessen some of the stresses in this industry.  

What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t a chef?

Starving artist.

What’s one thing you hope every guest remembers about their dining experience at Muckross?

I am always happy to hear that a guest remembers our restaurants as welcoming.  It is a collective effort to deliver such warm service and hospitality which we are passionate about.