The Michelin star-winning chef made his first visit to the Province to attend the launch at Queen’s University of a new private banking service from Northern Bank.

“It’s a real privilege to have one of the world’s leading chefs visit Northern Ireland to speak with our staff,” said Katherine James, Northern’s head of wealth and private banking.

“The inspirational lessons imparted by Jean-Christophe have reinforced our commitment to ensuring we deliver an exceptional customer experience to our clients.”

The Northern is bidding to attract clients who might otherwise have looked beyond Northern Ireland, said Ms James.

“Traditionally, as a means of ensuring discretion, Northern Ireland’s highest net worth individuals have tended to look to the London banks for this type of service,” she explained.

The private banking service is available to individuals and their families who meet specific criteria in respect of earnings and investable assets.

“The secret to any successful business is to be meticulous about delivering a high quality service and of course providing a fabulous product,” said Novelli.

“I have always been as passionate about customer service as I am about food.”