Belfast restaurateur Niall McKenna has receive an MBE for services to hospitality and tourism in the King’s New Year Honours List.
The west Belfast-born chef has been part of the city’s restaurant scene for over 20 years, opening his first restaurant, James Street South, in 2003.
Since then, Mr McKenna and his wife Joanne have expanded their business, most recently opening Waterman in Hill Street, also home to a cookery school.
In 2010 he appeared on the BBC TV series Great British Menu, where his dessert was served at the series finale banquet, and in 2014, he was named Northern Ireland Tourism Hero at the NI Tourism Awards.
For the last eight years, he has led an in-house apprenticeship scheme, and he has been a visiting professor Ulster University since 2017.
In 2024, Mr McKenna released his debut cookbook, What’s It All About?, featuring 140 recipes served in his venues over the last 20 years.
Mr McKenna said he was “proud” of the role he’d played in the city’s restaurant scene.
“Belfast’s world-famous hospitality has put our city on the map. We now have a restaurant and food scene here to rival the best on a national and international stage.
“This honour is a testament to the hard work and dedication of so many, who share our desire to bring Belfast on, and make this a city we can be proud to call home.
“But the most important thing to me is that we’ve stayed true to what we believe in – good food, good people, and hard work.”