Born in Cork in 1924, Myrtle Allen is an Irish Michelin-star-winning chef. Together with her late husband, Ivan, she bought Ballymaloe House in East Cork in 1948 and opened a hotel and later, in 1964, a restaurant.
She pioneered placing local, seasonal food to the fore, a philosophy synonymous with the now internationally renowned Ballymaloe House and Restaurant and espoused by the world's top chefs. In doing so, she created the road map for Ireland's current status as a force to be reckoned with on the global culinary scene.