Ferbane chef is an internet hit
A chef from Ferbane has become an internet sensation thanks to his simple and cheap recipes which are now viewed by tens of thousands of people daily.
Liam Boland (42), who had to stop working in professional kitchens following a heart attack four years ago, has amassed a huge following on his BiaMaith website and facebook page.
He is now hoping to develop the site further in 2016 and is hoping to make it “the biggest food website in Europe”.
A resident of Lusmagh, Liam posts daily recipes for meals, which can often feed a family of six for €5 or less, from ingredients that are readily available in supermarkets.
His page has amassed over 20,000 'likes’ on facebook while the website attracts a weekly readership of 300,000.
“I wanted it to be one of those books people would really use in their day-to-day lives - one where the pages would be coated in flour from the kitchen,” Liam told the Offaly Independent.
His journey as a chef began in his teenage years when he worked in local businesses such as the Brosna Lodge, and then went on to study at the then-Athlone RTC.
He subsequently travelled the world, working in places such as England, Australia, Hong Kong and America. He even cooked for the rock band AC/DC on their Black Ice tour of Europe in 2009.
Four years ago, having returned to Ireland, he suffered a heart attack and was told by doctors to quit working as a professional chef.
“They told me it was going to kill me if I kept on working, which was very difficult because being a chef was all that I knew and all that I ever wanted to be.”
Living off social welfare, he was left with a budget of €38 per week after rent. Despite this, friends were amazed he was able to produce top-quality meals from such limited resources.
“They were asking me how I was eating so well on so little. Their friends, wives and partners started requesting some of the recipes so I set up the facebook page and it started from there.”
Coverage he received on the journal.ie website helped drive a huge growth in BiaMaith’s popularly in a relatively sort space of time.
“I was amazed when the page reached 1,000 likes,” he said. “Now it has 21,000 likes.” Recent facebook posts shared recipes for dishes such as a Healthy Chicken and Veggie Stirfry, Southern Fried Chicken, Beef Cannelloni and Lemon Meringue Pie.
Liam said his mission was to “get people eating properly” by encouraging them to cook for themselves, thus bypassing hidden sugars and other additives found in processed food and take-aways.
“I have had so many parents telling me that, after they started cooking for their families, their kids are much happier, healthier and are doing better in school. They’re eating things now that they never would have touched before.”
When asked why the site has been so successful, Liam said: “I think it’s because of the concept - the recipes are so easy to follow and the ingredients are all easily found.”
He doesn’t intend to rest on his laurels in 2016, with plans to grow the website further and also make progress with some business ideas.
The BiaMaith website can be found at: www.biamaith.ie