Many diners taking weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro appear to be rethinking how they approach eating out.

Some restaurateurs responded with frustration, arguing that menus should not be restructured around pharmaceutical trends.

For Wade Murphy, head chef of 1826 Adare, a Michelin guide restaurant in Limerick, told The Anton Savage Show that the impact of these drugs isn’t something he’s witnessing at the table.

“I think it’s just a bit of a fad," he told Anton.

Murphy stood firm in his role as head chef:

“As I say to people...When you're leaving, you're leaving full."

The international conversation has also shifted toward what some are calling ‘mindful dining’.

Heston Blumenthal, an English celebrity chef popularised the idea with his upcoming tasting menu, ‘The Mindful Experience.’

The Mindfulness Experience is a simplified tasting menu designed to help diners focus on the flavour of the food, engaging fully with the act of eating in an attempt to rethink indulgence.

Murphy isn’t convinced this approach will take hold here.

For Murphy, the real issue lies not in medication, but in what people are eating every day.

“In our restaurant we only use fresh ingredients, it's not an over-processed product,” he explained.

The head chef stated that seasonality is central to his cooking, yet he believes many diners are losing touch with it, and not realising what food groups thrive in different parts of the year.

“As you know yourself - I'm a Wexford man, do not give me strawberries in December,” he said, enphasising how drastically different produce can taste when it's not in season.

Irish expectations are changing too, which is being influenced by tourism.

When asked if portion sizes are under pressure to match American standards, Murphy admitted:

“Maybe just a little bit... There is that expectation with the huge amount of American tourists...I don't think we’re quite there.. but look, some people are looking for a feed rather then a culinary experience.”

Murphy believes that the industry must hold its ground. For him, food should reflect season, not pharmaceuticals.

Written by Annemarie Roberts