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Everyday Business podcast with Aidan Donnelly

Episode 63 with Lorraine Heskin, CEO of Gourmet Food Parlour

16th October, 2025

We are delighted to bring you the 63rd episode of the podcast series 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly' with guest Lorraine Heskin, CEO of Gourmet Food Parlour.

Listen to the latest episode on:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Amazon Music

This podcast brings you insightful conversation between Aidan Donnelly and entrepreneurs and business owners/management with their own unique story to tell. A new episode of the series will be released biweekly. You can listen to 'Everyday Business with Aidan Donnelly' via any of your usual podcast providers.

About Lorraine Heskin

Hailing from Barna in Co. Galway, Lorraine Heskin studied in University of Limerick before heading off to New York for 4 years working in a diverse range of food businesses. On returning to Dublin in 2006, she founded the Gourmet Food Parlour, opening its first 25-seater café in Dun Laoghaire.

Since then, it has evolved to become Dublin’s most trusted restaurant group, with 12 locations across Dublin, Meath and Galway including a state-of-the-art catering kitchen in Santry. In 2023, they opened 3 unique dining concepts inside the iconic Arnotts Dublin department store, and now have a fourth there, as well as two in Brown Thomas, employing 320 people in total.

As CEO, Lorraine’s hands on approach to running the business is the driving force behind the company. Her dedication, determination, and hard work filters down throughout the company. She was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist in 2023 and recently won CEO of the year at the inaugural Business Post, Leadership and Excellence Awards. She has her own consultancy business established where she works with female entrepreneurs on their business journey, guiding and encouraging them to grow and scale.

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The participants in this podcast have done so for the purpose of sharing their own individual business experiences. Some are clients of Davy and some are not. They have not received a gratuity or other payment for their time in making the Podcast. The views expressed throughout are their own.

WARNING: The information in this Podcast is not a recommendation or investment research. It does not purport to be financial advice. You should speak to your advisor, in the context of your own personal circumstances, prior to making any financial or investment decision.