From North Belfast to World's Best Bar: Jack McGarry Mentors UU Students

From collecting glasses in local pubs to co-founding the world's most awarded Irish pub, North Belfast-born Jack McGarry has risen to become one of the most respected figures in global hospitality. Now, thirteen years after launching New York City's famous establishment The Dead Rabbit, Jack has returned to Belfast to help inspire the next generation of local talent at Ulster University.

Jack, who was born in North Belfast and raised in West Belfast, began his hospitality journey collecting glasses and bar-backing at the Hunting Lodge before honing his craft behind the bar at the five-star Merchant Hotel in Belfast city centre. It was there he joined forces with fellow bartender Sean Muldoon. In 2013, the duo moved to Manhattan and launched The Dead Rabbit, an ambitious concept designed to merge the elevated cocktail craft of The Merchant with the warm, unpretentious atmosphere of traditional Belfast pubs like Madden's, Kelly's Cellars, and the Duke of York.

The venture proved to be an international sensation, earning the title of World's Best Bar, while Jack himself was named International Bartender of the Year. Despite his global acclaim, Jack remains determined to challenge long-held preconceptions that working in food and drink is merely a stopgap rather than a viable, rewarding lifelong vocation.

Collaborating with students at Ulster University's Academy Restaurant, Jack hosted a special Culinary Salon Dinner, offering young people direct insight into world-class cocktail craftsmanship, brand building, and storytelling. Reflecting on his own early years starting out at age 15 or 16, Jack noted that such advanced training facilities simply did not exist back then, making it all the more essential for established leaders to pass the baton forward.

Speaking candidly about his own past struggles, the highs of chasing industry accolades, and his decision to embrace sobriety, Jack offered valuable perspective to the students. He urged them to view hospitality as a marathon rather than a sprint, advising that winning titles alone does not complete a person and that maintaining a continuous learning mindset is essential for a career spanning decades.

Jack also highlighted why Belfast locals naturally excel on the global stage, pointing to the innate warmth, humour, and storytelling baked into the local culture. He noted that when local personality is paired with top-tier technical training, Belfast hospitality professionals have a distinct competitive edge anywhere in the world. Looking ahead, Jack teased that he is exploring potential new ventures closer to home, leaving open the exciting possibility of welcoming future Ulster University graduates into his own establishments.