The leading restaurant and catering group started by an entrepreneur originally from Barna has expanded its footprint in the west with the acquisition of SKG Catering, itself a well-established catering company in Galway.

Gourmet Food Parlour, founded by Lorraine Heskin, is one of Ireland’s largest catering providers, and boasts twelve restaurants nationwide – and with this latest acquisition, the group strengthens its catering services in Galway in particular.

The Barna woman studied in University of Limerick before heading off to New York for four years working in a diverse range of food businesses.

On returning to Dublin, Lorraine she opened her first 25-seater café in Dun Laoghaire in 2006 – and now Gourmet Food Parlour has grown into a very successful business employing a team of 320 people across the group, with twelve locations across Dublin and Meath as well as her premises in Salthill.

Now, by combining SKG’s strong local client base with Gourmet Food Parlour’s national expertise in catering and nutrition, she hopes to set a new benchmark for catering in the region.

“In recent years, catering has become one of the fastest-growing areas of our business, and it has been a long-time goal of mine to expand our presence in Galway,” said Lorraine.

“Partnering with Anthony and the SKG team presents the perfect opportunity to do just that,” she added.

Anthony Healy, founder of SKG Catering, also expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership.

“We are delighted to join forces with Gourmet Food Parlour, a brand that shares our passion for delivering high-quality food and exceptional service,” he said.

“At SKG Catering, we have always prided ourselves on taste, quality, and customer satisfaction. This partnership allows us to bring our expertise to an even wider audience, and we look forward to creating memorable dining experiences together,” he added.

Pictured: Lorraine Heskin, CEO and founder of Gourmet Food Parlour.