Dishes full of heart, warmth and generosity – just like Simon was
Two weeks ago we lost one of the legends and pioneers of the Northern Ireland cooking scene with the passing of chef Simon Dougan.
I first met Simon when I was teaching in the Catering College in Portrush and he was attending a dinner.
As the food scene here evolved I met him often at events and we formed a friendship based on our shared love of produce, cooking, good craic and a healthy dose of rascality.
Simon ran the Yellow Door catering company for over twenty five years.
He could seamlessly cook for hundreds of people and was an exceptionally skilled and talented chef.
He epitomised Northern Irish hospitality and wherever he cooked the food was full of flavour, a celebration of our seasonal produce and no one ever walked away hungry.
Simon curated a dinner to mark the start of the Year of Food and Drink in Northern Ireland in 2016 at the Ulster Hall in Belfast.
Over 200 people were treated to glorious dishes.
In a short space of time our place had become a beacon of good food recognised across the world.
He played a major part in that transition and was rewarded with an MBE in 2017 in recognition of his services to hospitality here.
Simon’s company was responsible for the food at Hillsborough Castle and while he often cooked for royalty and heads of state he remained grounded and treated everyone with respect – Simon didn’t care whether you were a king or a pauper.
He was as giving with his time for charity as he was with his food.
He worked tirelessly for the NI Cancer Fund for Children organising many fundraising dinners for them.
He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2024 and became a spokesperson and fundraiser for NI PANC.
In September he and his wife Jilly opened up their garden at their home and raised over £25,000 for the charity.
He and Jilly loved nothing more than working in the garden, tending to their vast array of vegetables and all manner of fruit trees with their beloved dogs Ernie and Reggie never far away.
Visitors would invariably drive away with a boot full of the bounty from the garden, honey, bread, not to mention a heart full of love and a head full of laughter.
Simon was a proud Armagh man and it’s fitting that this week I’m sharing two of his apple based recipes from his cherished home county.
The puff pastry apple pie and pork belly with creamed cabbage and whisky honey glaze are from his 2008 published The Yellow Door cook book. The dishes are full of heart, warmth and generosity, just like he was.