From Michelin-starred kitchens to care home concerts: Chef David and his Irish pipes strike chord with residents

13/05/2026

A talented pastry chef who swapped working at a Michelin starred restaurants for a care organisation has been serving up musical treats to the residents.

Dave Quinn, who has worked at some of Europe's best known eateries, creates delightful desserts for residents at Pendine Park in Wrexham.

And he has also been sharing his lifelong passion for Irish music with live performances there.

The dad-of-two's love of music began in childhood in County Meath where he would accompany his singer father Peter during pub sessions.

Now Dave, 56, entertains residents with traditional Celtic music played on a wide range of instruments including banjo, mandolin, flute, tin whistle and the notoriously difficult Uilleann pipes.

His performances at Pendine Park's care homes are part of the organisation's innovative enrichment programme, using music and art to bring enjoyment and enrichment to the lives of all the residents within the group.

Dave joined Pendine Park three years ago having worked in illustrious venues including as head pastry chef at the famous K Club hotel and golf resort in County Kildare, as well as the former Michelin-starred Oak Room in London's Piccadilly, The Chester Grosvenor and Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire.

He said: "When I was seven, I got guitar lessons, and when I was nine I got my first tin whistle, I still have it. I am self-taught on the banjo and the flutes and I also play the fiddle, but very badly. I used to play the drums and various traditional Irish instruments like the bodhran, and I play bass guitar and the keyboards to a degree."

As he got older, Dave would accompany his father to sessions in pubs.

He said: "Generally, after a few drinks, my dad would get up and sing and I would play along with him. Then like other boys at the time I discovered electric guitars and there was an Irish rock band called Horslips, a 70s rock band, that I liked. I then became a chef and trained in Dublin and I kind of put the music aside for the simple reason that I was then working in London at Michelin-starred places, five star hotels."

He then worked as a chef in Belgium and on a Cunard cruise ship where he met his wife Jayne, a hairdresser from Wrexham, and the couple moved to the city.

Dave, who only plays for his own enjoyment and doesn't play in a band or at sessions in pubs, added the Uilleann pipes are hugely challenging to master.

He said: "The Uilleann pipes really are difficult to learn, and a lot of it is self-taught. The best way to describe it is like wrestling two greased-up pigs while you're trying to crochet. When I was very young I saw a guy called Johnny Murray play the Uilleann pipes, that was the first time I saw them and I was always interested in them. I got my first set in 2018, and they are savage to learn. They say it takes 21 years to become a fully-fledged piper, and I have been doing it on and off for the last eight years. The only way to learn is to practice, by doing it. Even the instrument itself is difficult to get a hold of. You can buy cheap ones online, but if you want to go through the proper channels and get a set from proper master craftsmen, you have to be prepared to wait for them. Mine are from Northern Ireland, you can wait for about two years just to get pieces made for your pipes, they are not something that are made and are hanging around. It is a process that takes time and master craftsmen don't rush their craft."

And he revealed his preferred taste in music was a lot heavier than the mystical sounds of traditional Irish airs. He said: "I am actually a huge Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath fan, and I am also a Thin Lizzy fan. In the 80s I also discovered Iron Maiden and Motorhead, and just recently a trash metal band called Slayer reformed, and for me they are just phenomenal."

Group catering manager Christine Tracey said it was a delight to have Dave entertaining the residents and sharing his passion for music. She said: "Dave is just brilliant at music, he has a real talent and can play so many instruments. He will go out for his lunch and he will be in his camper van which he drives to work and he will be in there strumming away or blowing on his flute and whistles. Dave's performances are part of our enrichment programme here at Pendine Park. Twice a month one of the chefs will go out and do a demonstration of cooking to the residents. When it was Dave's turn, he said 'do you mind if I do my music'. I said 'I'm sure they will love it' and they did, it went down a storm. He spoke about the music and the instruments and then played them. The enrichment programme is so important to us here, it enlightens everything, and the residents love the music and everything we put on. We incorporate new menu ideas in our cooking demonstrations. When we create new dishes, the residents have a taster day and we get the feedback from them on what they think."

Pen-y-Bryn resident Lynn Kelly said she loved hearing about Dave's passion for the music of his homeland and enjoyed the performances. She said: "It was very good, I enjoyed every minute. It is lovely to have a chef here who can also play music so well. I like all sorts of music, it is lovely to hear it played live."


Pictures by Rick Matthews