Yahoo News Dad's message to people of Liverpool after being named 'one of the best'
A dad has praised the city of Liverpool for helping him be named "one of the best chefs".
Kemal Coskuncay, living in Speke, is best known for being the brains behind Private Delicacies - a dining and consultation company based in South Liverpool. The 46-year-old has worked with some of Liverpool’s top restaurants including the Lark Lane venue, Al Dente and Halewood’s Casa Rima.
His dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed as he recently scooped another accolade - this time being recognised as one of the “world’s best chefs” with a prestigious Gastronomy Star Award. The Turkish chef was presented with the award in his native country.
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The dad-of-three told the ECHO: “The awards are a big deal in my country - only 40 other Turkish chefs and only the best from other countries have won this award. Gaziantep is one of the gastronomy capitals of the world so to win it there in my home country is very special.
“I must give a very special thank you to the people of Liverpool. I worked hard to make it in Turkey and then at top restaurants in London but Liverpool is where I have made my home.
"My family and I have fallen in love with the place and since moving here I have enjoyed great success, winning these recent awards. The people here are so friendly and this encourages me to do even better.”
Kemal moved to the region in 2020 with his wife Gülay, daughter Narin and two sons Baris and Berat, following a successful stint in the country’s capital as a private chef. Kemal has been involved with the industry for over three decades having started when he was a teenager.
During one summer as his friends got jobs as barbers and farmers, he decided to become a dishwasher for three months as he waited for school to return.
Since then, Kemal has perfected his craft and has been able to serve some of his footballer heroes including Peter Crouch, Ian Callaghan, Howard Gayle, Mike Hooper and Jon Flanagan.
Kemal previously said: “I started as a dishwasher and kitchen porter in Bodrum (a city in Turkey) and started alongside the best in the industry and worked my way up. It’s been in my blood for a long time. I have been working very hard throughout my career and take great pride in what I do.
“I love Liverpool and I have always wanted to live here. It is a brilliant place. I am a big Liverpool FC fan, as are my children, so serving food for Liverpool legends has been like a dream. I love the people here.
"They are friendly and really appreciate great food and service. I’m so happy to be recognised as one of the best chefs in the country but to be recognised by Scousers is even more special to me.
“I started to love Liverpool when they played against Milan at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey in 2005. My football team is Beşiktaş J.K. in Turkey but even in the Champions League game, when we lost against Liverpool 8-0 at Anfield, I was still so happy for Liverpool.
“The club is one of the reasons I moved to the city. I have watched many games at Anfield with my family - Champions League, FA Cup and Premier League games.”
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