Glen Wheeler’s culinary journey took him all over the world, but it was to his home county of Fermanagh that he returned and set up his dream restaurant along with his wife, Zara McHugh.

For Glen Wheeler 28 Darling St is more than a business and more than a restaurant; it is a passion. On top of setting up an award-winning restaurant Glen also made his own little bit of history in becoming the first chef from the county to compete on the Great British Menu.

Glen will compete in the Northern Ireland heats on the show and he will be on our screens in the coming months.

“It has been an amazing 15 months. We set up the restaurant and time has just flown by. It was a big step but both myself and Zara have loved it and we are so grateful for all the support that has been shown to us.”

Glen took his first tentative steps in to the world of cooking at what is now South West College. One of his lecturers at the time was Neven Maguire, who runs one of the country’s top restaurants, MacNean House and Restaurant in Blacklion. Neven must have liked what he saw in Glen as it wasn’t long before Glen was working in MacNean where he would go on to become the head chef, a position he held for over a decade.

Glen still found time to sample life in different kitchens however and in January of each year, as MacNean closed for a month, Glen would head off around the worl picking up experience in some of the most renowned restaurants on the planet.

his passion for food and desire to hone his skills have taken him far and wide. He has worked in a number of top Michelin starred restaurants including Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Royal Hospital Road’ in London (three stars), ‘The Vineyard’ in Berkshire, (two stars), ‘Alinea’ in Chicago (three stars) and NOMA in Copenhagen (two stars), which at the time had been awarded the title of World’s Best Restaurant.

“I learned so much from Neven and working in MacNean and I was also so fortunate to work in other top restaurants all over the world. When you are passionate about food you never stop learning and the one thing you see from other chefs in these restaurants is their passion. It is so strong, and they have such a desire to produce memorable experiences for their customers,” Glen explained.

And that is just what he wants to replicate here in Fermanagh with 28 darling St.

“What we want to do is give people an experience that they will remember. We use fantastic locally sourced ingredients and we look to cook them in an elegant way to bring out their flavour and we want to combine all of that with a service that people enjoy. We want people to feel like they can come to 28 Darling St and relax, laugh and enjoy some great food with friends and family.”

Turning to the Great British Menu Glen admitted that it was a massive buzz to compete in what he calls an “iconic cooking show” and a huge honour to be the first from Fermanagh to do so.

"I’ve watched this show for the last 10 years and is one of the most respected shows in the industry, it’s the who’s who of cooking in Great Britain. It’s amazing to be the first chef from Fermanagh to cook on Great British Menu. It was an unbelievable experience and an honour to cook alongside some of the best chefs in the UK," he said.