• She trained at Ballymaloe and has worked at Patrick Guilbaud, among other restaurants

• Her partner Chris is an architect. They have a daughter starting at Montessori school
• She and her sister Sacha (who co-owns the restaurant) grew up in Dalkey. Sam now lives in Glenageary, Sacha in Milltown
• When dining out, Sam likes a good steak
• She is chairing the ‘food subgroup’ of the Dalkey Business Group, bringing together local restaurateurs in joint initiatives.

Did you always know you wanted to run a restaurant?
I always knew I didn’t want to work for someone else forever. And I loved cooking. But I do believe that great cooking comes from the heart, and I was more ambitious in a business way than as a cook. So I went into management, initially with Café Java and then for two years at the Expresso Bar in Ballsbridge, where owner Ann-Marie Nohl was my mentor. My sister Sacha had just come back from travelling and she worked at the Expresso Bar with me. We loved our time there. We were learning every day; Ann-Marie was constantly on the ball and making changes.

How did you arrive at the concept for Nosh?
We did a lot of research. We travelled to New York and to London, looking around at what restaurants were doing. Twelve years ago the restaurants in London were amazing. There was one called Titanic that was twenty times the size of Nosh, designed to look like the ballroom of the Titanic. There was also a restaurant called Mash, which was using the colour orange and also the typeface that we now use. We started thinking along the lines of Posh Nosh and eventually just thought, Nosh. My brother is a graphic designer, and he put the look together.

What’s it like working with your sister?
We respect one another. We deal with situations very differently. And we each have our ‘chores’. Sacha looks after front-of-house and staff, I look after business matters, the kitchen, and anything to do with solicitors or landlords. We don’t socialise together away from work as much as we used to, just because of kids and life.

What’s been the secret of Nosh’s success?
I’d say proprietor presence. It’s essential. Other than that, location, good value, and quality.

Everyone knows that running a restaurant is hard work – just how hard is it?
Before Sacha and I had kids we worked a 90-hour week - and we enjoyed it! Now we have a good balance. We each work 40 hours spread over four days.

Would you open another restaurant?
We got close to it. We were planning on opening one in Sandymount, and had builders and architects involved, then Sacha panicked and said she wanted to start a family. Who knows how many hours a week we might be working now if the Sandymount plan had gone ahead.

What are your best-selling dishes?
Prawn pils pils, the chocolate brownie, our chicken dishes, and the calamari – oh my god, the calamari is unbelievably popular.

Looking back, is there anything you’d do differently?
There isn’t anything I’d change about the way we’ve done it. We missed a lot of family occasions and friends’ weddings, but we’re both still passionate about the business. It’s not about the money. Six years ago we were making serious money, when we look back on it, but we were too busy to think about it much. At the moment business is quiet, but we are still working hard and still just as passionate. Things are ticking over nicely enough to pay the bills, the staff and the rent.

What are the next developments for Nosh?
We started the Nosh Club last month, doing a cookery demonstration and a three-course meal with wine tasting for €40 a head.  

What’s happening with the ‘food subgroup’ of the Dalkey Business Group?
We’re talking to CIE about a ‘dine on the DART’ idea, where people travelling to Dalkey to eat would travel free. We’re putting on some free events, for instance cookery demonstrations in a marquee in the Tramyard. And we’re thinking about an event where each Dalkey restaurant would charge the same amount for its set menu; we can advertise that collectively. We could do that maybe four times a year.

Any thoughts on how to thrive in a recession?
The recession is old news. People have adjusted, and as my mother says, people have more time for each other now. We are all in the same boat, working hard and coming up with ideas.

Come along and see a live cookery demonstration from Nosh at 11.45am this Saturday, 3rd December, in the Tramyard, Castle Street, Dalkey. Cookery demonstrations from nine Dalkey restaurants will run in the Tramyard from 11am to 5pm.

Also check out Nosh’s next ‘Watch us cook’ evening at the restaurant on 7th December, where you can enjoy a three course dinner with wine and see behind the scenes.