Firefighter Patrick McBride fought off 20,000 hopefuls for the iconic Milk Tray Man title…
But he wasn’t always as smooth as chocolate.
I managed to nab him for a quick chinwag in between chocolate deliveries, and I can confirm he may just be perfect, flaws and all.
Although he dons the iconic black polo neck, there is nothing retro about this modern family man who isn’t about “grand gestures”, but feels its the little things that count – showing people you appreciate them every day.
He explains: “Because I’m a firefighter, my shift work allows me to be at home when my wife’s at work and my boy has school, so I’ll make sure I do my bit and all the duties around the house.”
When it comes to romance, he reckons his wife would say he is the perfect romantic “eighty per cent of the time” but that he’s certainly “not perfect”.
You may have noticed the lovely Patrick popping up around Dublin of late.
His first kiss story, however, is absolutely perfect in our eyes.
He revealed: “There’s a park where I’m from and there’s a particular willow tree in that park.
“There was a girl that was in the year above me in primary school, so she was a bit of an older woman… a cougar.
“My mum had taken her, her sister and me to this park.
“My Mum was putting food out and talking to her older sister, and we ended up under the willow tree.
“I remember she kissed me, but I totally freaked out because an earwig ran up my leg right when she leaned in.
“She probably thought that the problem was her breath.”
Awkwardness levels, off the scale. But it only gets worse for our humble hero.
He continued: “Later on, I found out that she only kissed me for a bag of crisps.”
There is something refreshing about knowing that The Milk Tray Man is literally as awkward as us.
His top tip for handling the heartbreak? “Lionel Richie and a chocolate binge.”
A man after our own hearts.
