We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
AN UNEMPLOYED CHEF from Dublin has offered up his home to a family in need on Christmas Day and will even cook them a full festive dinner.
Today it was revealed that another 42 families lost their homes last month and will be homeless for Christmas. Liam, who has fallen on hard times himself recently, said he wants to do his bit to help.
The 41-year-old worked from the age of 14 as a professional chef, cooking with the likes of Marco Pierre White over the years. Two years ago he suffered a heart attack and was told by his doctor he could not return to a professional kitchen ever again.
It was like losing everything. I was very, very good and when I was in the kitchen I was happy and singing. It was my one passion in the world.
Cooking on a budget
Following his recovery, being out of a kitchen and “back in the real world”, as he put it, was a real shock and he is finding the job search difficult. He is currently studying computer networking to expand his skillbase but his ideal job would be working with food again. On his Facebook and Twitter pages, called BiaMaith, he has recently started sharing recipes for simple, healthy and affordable food to show people how they can manage to eat well on a budget.
“I get €188 a week and €150 of that goes to the house so I just have my €38,” he told TheJournal.ie. “You can’t do anything, you don’t have a life. I haven’t even got the money to go to job interviews down the country. I have enough to feed myself and that’s about it”.
The affordable recipes he has shared include glazed ham and home made fried chicken, which Liam said he is now sick of.
I’m posting recipes for families of six but I’m just one person so I end up eating it for six days because I can’t afford to cook a different thing every day and tweet about it.
BiaMaith (good food) / TwitterFried Chicken on a tight budget only €1.20 per person @SuperValuIRL step by step recipe http://t.co/WHvZSnSuCu pic.twitter.com/EJA7mB8mpE
— BiaMaith (@biamaith) December 10, 2014
Christmas dinner
Just three weeks ago, the 41-year-old lost his mother, who he described as his best friend, and he will be spending this Christmas Day at his rented home in Dublin with a friend.
After reading our story about homelessness today, the chef posted a comment, offering to share the Christmas dinner he cooks with someone in need.
“I’m most definitely serious about it,” he told us. “My room mate will be away and I’ve already spoken with him about it. I’d be happy to sleep on the couch so if a family would like to have Christmas they can stay in the two rooms upstairs and I’ll cook Christmas dinner for them.”
What is life for other than for us to be nice to one another?
Celebrity chef Neven Maguire is providing a Christmas hamper full of food to help Liam with his good deed.
Despite his run of bad luck in the last two years, the 41-year-old remains positive, telling us: “I’ll get back on my feet – I’m not going to be down”.
His hope for the new year is to find work either in the food sector or with computers. His dream for the future, however, is to set up a community restaurant to train young people in cooking and pass on savings to the people in the area.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Fair play to the guy! Happy Christmas to all involved.
If anyone knows how to set up donation link for this guy so he doesn’t have to live off 38 quid a week for food can you please do so. If I knew how to I would and even donate 1 euro and give him s present to remember and show how proud his mother would be of him. Happy Christmas and a very happy new year and healthy luck new year to you. Condolences on loss of your mam may she rest in peace. So if someone could do that would be great thanks
Hi Fuve, thanks for your kind words and offer to donate some money. I am honestly OK and will manage on what I have, I eat very well on the money I have, even if it seems very little to you it is more than enough to feed me.
If you really want to help someone get in touch with your local charity who spend all their time looking after and helping those in need instead of someone like me who has done nothing but offer to help someone at Christmas.
What I really want is a job so that I can take care of myself, if you or anyone else has one of those then I would love to chat.
Fair play , maybe more of us should do the same
Great idea fuve , I’d be on for that if it can be organised
If Karma is taken her job seriously that guy is in for a serious change in luck in the near future. What a hero.
What a wonderfully kind, selfless thing to do. Well done, Liam. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and that you find a great job in 2015. You deserve the best :-)
Hi Brendan Julian, I can easily feed 8 people a great Christmas dinner for under 50 euro. I think it’s not so much about the food (never thought I’d say something like that) as more about a family having a place to call home for Christmas that is not a hotel or hostel.
I don’t think I’m especially good or a hero and have made many mistakes in the past I’m ashamed of.
Facing being homeless myself has given me an insight into the hell people go through because of it. I’m terrified at the prospect but am on my own and will manage. I couldn’t imagine facing that when responsible for a family on top.
What I have offered is not the gift of a hero as I am far from it, it’s simply a gift to give back as in the past others gave to me that which I can never repay.
I still need a family to take me up on my offer so if anyone knows of anyone please let me know via thejournal.ie or my Facebook or twitter pages.
You might start a trend. I salute you sir
Hardly as xmas is only once a year
Wow what a legend! Fair play to him, brilliant idea….
excellent excellent generosity and what an incredibly decent human being. i’d be delighted to contribute some food or trimmings to your Christmas meal if you so wish
That’s a good idea. If there is something extra we can do to help, I’d like to contribute too.
And me. What can we do journal?
Me too!
Sounds like he has his own event sorted, and the best thing you could do, should you wish, is copy his example.
A wonderful gesture.
Great news story, just made my day reading that, there are still amazing people in this world!!!
A really humbling story…
Well done!
What a wonderful person, let’s hope 2015 brings this man his dream job and that he gets back on his feet.
Can someone at the Journal send me contact details for Liam please so I can order some shopping online and have it delivered to him!
Or if he has an Amazon wish list or something?
Hi Tale, thanks for your offer but I am honestly going to be grand with what I have.
Why not donate to your local charity who I am sure really need the help, esp at this time of year. Thanks again and happy Christmas!
I’d still like to send you something for your kindness!
My father passed from a heart attack at Christmas time, so I very much know what it can be like
I also would like to donate something to this. I have already given to local charities so please let this be my next good deed at Christmas
I people really want to help out and won’t take no for an answer then I could do with some help setting up a website that will help families on a tight budget. My idea for the site is that anyone can enter their food budget no matter how big or small, how many they want to feed, things they like to eat and things they don’t and their location. The site will then return recipes within their budget and tastes so that, like me they can eat well on a tight budget and cut fast and processed foods out of their diet.
I have the hosting and domain name paid for but need help with the rest, more your time that finances.
I couldn’t possibly take gifts or money from anyone, there are many charities who need your help out there.
Yeah I would like to help you with that, I have followed you on twitter already so let me know how I can help
Well done and I pray you get back to work soon. People like you restore my faith in humanity
Wow, what a man. There’s not many who would go to these lengths for their own family never mind strangers. I hope you find happiness and peace of mind in your life, you deserve it.
Amazing man! Hope he gets the break he needs soon. :-)
What a lovely kind gesture. Respect to this man
Why doesn’t Neven Maguire offer him a job instead of a hamper ?
His Doctor said he can’t work
It says in the article that he can’t wait to get back on his feet and is looking for work.
Why should he? He doesn’t know me at all and owes me nothing yet he took the time out of his day to get in touch and offer a hamper that he is paying for and shipping to my home. Isn’t that a pretty cool thing for someone to do for another person they have never met.? I think so. Happy Christmas
I can’t work in a professional kitchen anymore, however I can do most other things and am hoping something will turn up soon. Maybe with one of the supermarket chains as a purchaser or writing about food or teaching or many other things that I think I would be really good at and am trained to do.
Chris due to the stressful high pressure of a professional kitchen environment, a job offer from Neven would have to be refused.
A Christmas hero.
lovely gesture. people like this deserve credit. I wonder does bono invite people in need around for christmas?
Do you Dave?
Legend, amazing,well done, excellent idea. He hardly has enough to feed himself an he is offering a family of six to his house for xmas. How is going to feed them? Will he spend his budget and starve for all of next month?
Brendan Julian clearly you didn’t read this article or you would know somebody has kindly offered to donate a hamper to allow him to host a christmas dinner for a family in need. No need to begrudge the man for helping people out,it is the time of year for giving after all!
Mooney i do not begrudge him. Obviously you have only tuned in now as hamper has just been added to article.now he CAN enjoy xmas without having to listen to pityful comments like. Karma. Héro. Legend. Amazing.etc
Hi Brendan, I replied to this above, it didn’t post under your comment at the time as I was on my phone.
Hi Liam, fair play to you. Is there a way i could contact you, or you contact me? Happy to give you my number if you could have a 5 min chat? Might be able to help you on the jobs front. Have a feeling i might be one of many though so wish you luck one way or the other. Happy Christmas
The majority of us eat well at Christmas, why not prepare one extra dinner on the day and at some stage hop into your nearest town/city where i am certain you will come across a person in need of it – not a lot too ask
Bia Maith has a facebook page too.
I’d like to help /donate too . Amazing man xxxx
have your say