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Category Archives: Philip Howard

Phil Howard to collaborate with Buchanans Cheesemonger at Elystan Street

14 Wednesday Sep 2016

Posted by Guide Girl in Celebrity chef, Chefs, Events, Michelin-starred chefs, Philip Howard, Restaurants

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Buchanans Cheesemonger, Phil Howard

Phil Howard cheeseBuchanans Cheesemonger kicked off its London Cheese School in collaboration with Phil Howard last night at its shop in Marble Arch, London.

The Cheese School rotates three different events a month including a cheese and drinks pairing masterclass, a ‘Meet the Maker’ supper club and a lunch at Phil Howard’s new restaurant, Elystan Street.

Howard will host two three course luncheons, showcasing seasonal ingredients and pairing them with cheese. Last night, Howard exampled this with a tartare of aged beef with artichoke heart, truffle and radish, topped with Berkswell cheese.

The cheese and drinks pairing masterclasses will be held at the Buchanans cheesemonger shop. Diners will be given six wines to taste with a pair of cheeses to identify a perfect pairing.

The Meet the Maker supper clubs will introduce diners to the people behind the cheeses stocked in the Buchanans shop. The evenings will be hosted by the cheesemaker, offering a two-course meal with matching wines.

Buchanans Cheesemonger opened on Porchester Place in April 2014, established by former Michelin-starred chef Rhuaridh Buchanan.

It operates as both a wholesale and retail outlet, sourcing cheeses from over 100 cheesemakers across the UK and Europe and supplying to some of London’s top restaurants.

See the full calendar below:

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Tartare of aged beef with artichoke heart, truffle and radish, topped with Berkswell cheese by Phil Howard

22 September
Cheese and wine masterclass

7 October
Meet the Maker: Alsop & Walker

13 October
Cheese with beer masterclass

22 October
Cheese on the Menu at Elystan Street

4 November
Meet the Maker

10 November
Cheese with wine masterclass

26 November
Cheese on the Menu at Elystan Street

For more information visit www.buchananscheesemonger.com

Phil Howard to open Elystan Street restaurant in former Tom Aikens site >>

Philip Howard leaves the Square as restaurant is sold to Marlon Abela >>

Kitchen W8 celebrates fifth birthday with special game dinner

09 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Guide Girl in Philip Howard, Restaurants

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Kitchen W8

Philip Howard and Rebecca Mascarenhas’ Kensington restaurant Kitchen W8 is readying to celebrate its fifth birthday with a special game dinner next week.

Writing the restaurant’s website, the two proprietors said they hoped Kitchen W8 was the result of long conversations between the pair as they tried to define the kind of places they like to go to with friends, family and colleagues.

“In short, we want Kitchen W8 to be a home from home. Our benchmark for success is to send you back out into the world feeling better than when you arrived,” they said.

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Twitter’s alternative top 10 UK restaurants

17 Friday May 2013

Posted by Guide Girl in Andrew Fairlie, Brett Graham, Chefs, Food Critics, Good Food Guide, Marcus Wareing, Michelin, Michelin-starred chefs, Michelin-starred restaurants, Philip Howard, Restaurants, Sat Bains, Tom Kerridge

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What is your favourite UK restaurant? We asked and you answered. 
A couple of weeks ago, as the UK enjoyed an unusually sunny bank holiday weekend, there was a mini Twitter storm – a swirling social media eddy, if you like – over one of the most recent restaurant lists to bounce around the ether. 
The list in question was Matthew Norman’s 22 favourite restaurants, according to the scores he had given them in his reviews. This generated discussion over the geographical concentration of the restaurants mentioned because the majority – 15 in total – were in London.

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Michelin-starred chefs help raise £400,000 for Action Against Hunger

08 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by Guide Girl in Andrew Fairlie, Angela Hartnett, Charities, Chefs, Claude Bosi, Menus, Michelin-starred chefs, Philip Howard, Restaurants, Tom Kerridge

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Action Against Hunger dinnerSoren Jessen’s City restaurant 1 Lombard Street played host to a fine wine auction last Saturday, which raised more than £400,000 for charity Action Against Hunger.

The event saw two-Michelin-starred chefs Claude Bosi (Hibiscus), Andrew Fairlie (Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles), Phil Howard (The Square) and Tom Kerridge (The Hand & Flowers) cooking up a four-course dinner at the restaurant. They worked alongside 1 Lombard Street head chef Juri Ravagli.

The fine wine auction was part of Action Against Hunger’s Love Food Give Food appeal, which aims to help 100,000 children in Burkina Faso, Niger and Liberia. The UK Government is matching all public donations to the appeal.

The auction included prizes such as dinner at Rene Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen, as well as dinner at the Kitchen Table at the opening of Angela Hartnett’s new restaurant at the Lime Wood in the New Forest, which won the highest bid of £15,000.

Action Against Hunger’s head of events, Becca McRow, said: “It has been a fantastic evening and we have raised an incredible amount of money for our work around the world. Our guests have been amazing and have really got behind Love Food Give Food, digging very deeply in their pockets to help our appeal.

“We would like to thank all of our amazing chefs for cooking up a delicious menu and of course 1 Lombard Street for once again opening their doors to us so warmly. Together, everyone this evening has helped us get one step closer to getting child hunger off the table.”

 

What the Critics Say – a round up of the latest restaurant reviews

18 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by Guide Girl in Chefs, Food Critics, Menus, Michelin, Michelin-starred chefs, New restaurant launches, Philip Howard, Restaurant Guides, Restaurants, What the Critics Say

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Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for What the Critics SayIf all tasting menus were as good as Will Holland’s at La Bécasse in Ludlow, no one would be fed up with fine dining, says John Lanchester.

The Guardian’s food critic is impressed with former Acorn winner Holland’s cooking, which he says carries huge amounts of technique through on to the plate without a sense of anyone straining for effect. “If the UK Michelin guide wasn’t already famous for being rubbish, the loss of his star would be sufficient evidence on its own,” Lanchester says.

Meanwhile another young chef, 18-year-old Luke Thomas, is a rare talent in the kitchen at Sanctum on the Green near Marlow, according to Jay Rayner. Writing in the Observer, he says: “How he learned to do all this so young is a mystery.”

The Times’ Giles Coren has one of the meals of his life at Sonny’s Kitchen, the latest venture from dream team Rebecca Mascarenhas and Phil Howard in Barnes, south London.

John Walsh, writing in the Independent, says with its unpretentious cooking, Ollie Couillaud’s Lawn Bistro in Wimbledon Village is the place to eat during the tennis tournament.

Don’t let the simple décor or reasonable prices mislead you – the cooking at the Beckford Arms in Fonthill Gifford, Wiltshire, is unexpectedly ambitious, says Zoe Williams of the Sunday Telegraph.

Finally, the Metro’s Marina O’Loughlin says dining at the Blue Elephant in its new location at Imperial Wharf in Fulham, is pretty much like being in Thailand. But in a way that nervous Western tourists see it.

What the Critics Say – a round up of the weekend’s restaurant reviews

16 Monday May 2011

Posted by Guide Girl in Chefs, Food Critics, Jason Atherton, Menus, Michelin-starred restaurants, New restaurant launches, Philip Howard, Restaurants, What the Critics Say

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Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for What the Critics SayMatthew Norman finds brutally minimalist decor but a superbly rich menu at St John Hotel, the latest venture from Trevor Gulliver and Fergus Henderson.

The Daily Telegraph’s food critic praises head chef Tom Harris, who presents his menu with rustic simplicity and without a shred of fuss. “Every dish was in perfect balance, every ingredient tasted purely and vibrantly of itself, only more so,” Norman enthuses.

Meanwhile, writing in The Sunday Times, AA Gill says that although its heart is most certainly in the right place, the food at the St John Hotel does not offer precise flavours.

“It’s well intentioned, its heart and all its other organs are in the right places, but its seasoning isn’t. The flavours are smudged and imprecise. The dishes aren’t clear, or doctrinal enough. And a lot of it is decent, but righteously boring,” he says.

Writing for The Guardian, John Lanchester says Jason Atherton’s Pollen Street Social is fun, informal and customer-friendly. “It’s the polar opposite of what we’ve come to expect of ‘fine dining’. And it’s also properly brilliant,” he says.

The Times’ Giles Coren enjoys immaculate service and skilful cooking at Phil Howard’s two-Michelin-starred Square but adds he finds it hard to get real joy from this sort of procession.

According to Jay Rayner, writing in The Observer, Spuntino, the third venture from the team behind Polpo and Polpetto, is the capital’s best Brooklyn diner, while The Independent on Sunday’s Lisa Markwell says if you’re caught in the maelstrom of Oxford Street’s shopping hell, the Riding House Café offers respite.

In London, the Evening Standard’s Fay Maschler says the Gilbert Scott, the new restaurant venture by Marcus Wareing at the St Pancras Renaissance hotel, is a dream ticket in need of direction, while Time Out’s Guy Dimond finds it’s the building that has the wow factor, not the meal.

The Metro’s Marina O’Loughlin finds Yotam Ottolenghi’s new Soho restaurant, Nopi is an undeniably glamorous restaurant offering wonderfully creative food which is interesting, affable and very delicious.

Claire Lara wins Masterchef: The Professionals 2010

02 Tuesday Nov 2010

Posted by Guide Girl in Chefs, MasterChef, Menus, Michel Roux, Michelin, Philip Howard, Pierre Koffmann, Restaurants, TV programmes

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Thumbnail image for Michel Rounx and Gregg WallaceLiverpool chef Claire Lara has been named the winner of the BBC’s Masterchef: The Professionals 2010.

30-year-old Lara, who is the first woman to win the title, was crowned the winner after a gruelling final under the watchful eyes of judges Michel Roux Jr and Gregg Wallace in which she beat fellow competitors David Coulson and John Calton.

The judges praised Lara for her brilliance and consistency throughout the competition. “Claire has an immense amount of talent. Her cooking skills are a revelation,” said Roux. “We started this competition looking for a talent and we have uncovered a diamond. She has that exceptional talent that will take her to stardom.”

A speechless Lara said: “I am so happy. I thought everyone was pretty good. This is brilliant.”

The final of Masterchef: The Professionals comprised a series of tasks, which included a patisserie challenge judged by acclaimed French patissier Pierre Hermé as well as a service at René Redzepi’s Noma in Copenhagen, which was this year named the best restaurant in the world.

Another challenge saw the contestants create a three-course menu at a dinner held at London’s Pearl restaurant for some of the UK’s most acclaimed chefs with more than 40 Michelin stars between them. They included Pierre Koffmann, Alain Roux, Michael Caines, Brett Graham and Phil Howard.

The Masterchef: The Professionals final culminated in a cook off during which the chefs each created a three course meal.

Lara’s winning menu comprised a starter of crispy skinned sea trout with apple purée and caper and cider beurre blanc; followed by a main course of roasted boneless pigeon on mashed potato and peas and pancetta with quince jelly and a red wine sauce. Her dessert comprised raspberry and white chocolate millefeuille with lemon thyme discs and raspberries.

What the Critics Say – a round up of the weekend’s restaurant reviews

01 Monday Mar 2010

Posted by Guide Girl in Chefs, Food Critics, Menus, Michelin-starred restaurants, Philip Howard, Restaurants, What the Critics Say

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Thumbnail image for What the Critics SayTwo-Michelin-starred chef Phil Howard’s latest restaurant, Kitchen W8 in London, is a must-consider for anyone in Kensington with something to celebrate, says restaurant critic John Walsh.

Writing in The Independent, Walsh is impressed by both the food and the service at Kitchen W8, which is a joint venture between Howard and restaurateur Rebecca Mascarenhas.

However, he is less keen on the prices. “With most starters costing £8.50 and main courses mostly north of £15 (rib-eye steak is £19.50) it’s hardly snack territory,” he says.

Meanwhile, The Guardian’s Matthew Norman is effusive in his review of the Dean Street Townhouse, which is the first new joint offering from Nick Jones’ Soho House Group and Richard Caring, owner of Caprice Holdings.  

“It mingles the bustle and slickness of the grand, all-day Parisian brasserie with a determinedly anti-Michelin English menu and a room cunningly designed (distressed mirrors, grand bar, wood panelling) for that ultra-voguish, modern media Soho clubland feel,” Norman says. 

Meanwhile the new head chef at Gilpin Lodge in Windemere, Cumbria, received the seal of approval from Jasper Gerard in The Daily Telegraph. Despite fearing the place might be all cream teas and doilies, he is delighted to find that, as well as being friendly, informal and full, the food prepared by Russell Plowman is top notch.

In The Times, Giles Coren says his visit to new Japanese restaurant Aqua Kyoto atop the former Dickins & Jones building on London’s Regent Street, was a fun experience. As well as consuming great cocktails and good sushi, he also enjoys the stunning night views.

Jay Rayner of The Observer finds a far better-than-average local restaurant in Maison Bleue in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk. Efficient, friendly service and perfectly judged fish cookery makes the town “a very nice place to be”.

What the Critics Say – a round up of the weekend’s restaurant reviews

18 Monday Jan 2010

Posted by Guide Girl in Food Critics, Menus, Michelin-starred restaurants, New restaurant launches, Philip Howard, Pierre Koffmann, Restaurants, What the Critics Say

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What the Critics SayTom Kitchin, chef-proprietor of the Micheli-starred Kitchin in Edinburgh, receives fulsome praise from Jasper Gerard in The Daily Telegraph for scouring the Highlands for the best quality ingredients.

The result is an exceptionally well produced menu that is unashamedly Scottish, hardy rather than twirly, showcasing the influence of Kitchin’s mentors Pierre Koffmann and Alain Ducasse.

Meanwhile Sicilian restaurant Mennula garners another rave review, with John Walsh in The Independent praising chef-patron Santino Busciglio’s knack of combining his grandmother’s recipes with new flavours.

In The Times Giles Coren takes up a new cause: that of the vegetarian diner. In his search for a restaurant that serves non-meat eaters with something that is inspiring and enticing, he comes up with a corker in Philip Howard’s new restaurant, Kitchen W8 in London.

His counterpart at the Sunday Times, AA Gill, is equally impressed with Kitchen W8 saying that while the food isn’t quite as immaculately pristine as The Square, it is far better than anything else you can eat in Kensington.

Jay Rayner, restaurant critic of The Observer, pays a visit to Polpo, a Venetian-style bacaro in London’s Soho, and likes what he finds. He is impressed by the authentic bare brick walls and distressed painted wood and – apart from a couple of minor gripes – with the quality and the price of the food, which is served tapas-style.

What the Critics Say – a round up of the weekend’s restaurant reviews

21 Monday Dec 2009

Posted by Guide Girl in Food Critics, Menus, Philip Howard, Restaurants, What the Critics Say

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What the Critics SayOne of London’s longest-standing and most consistent of restaurants, La Poule au Pot in Belgravia, impresses The Guardian’s food critic, Matthew Norman, with its delightful décor and familiar French bistro cooking.

He takes fellow journalist Simon Heffer and together they tuck into a selection of Gallic favourites, including moules marinières and boeuf  bourguignon. “There can’t be a more charming, cosy, nook-and-crannyish restaurant,” he says of La Poule au Pot which has been welcoming customers since 1962.

A more recent arrival on the capital’s dining scene is the Dean Street Townhouse, in Soho, which is the first major venture between Nick Jones, founder of the Soho House Group, and Richard Caring, the owner of Caprice Holdings which operates top London restaurants including Le Caprice, The Ivy and J Sheekey.

Toby Young says in The Independent on Sunday that during dinner there he found a restaurant that has the appearance of a luxury gentleman’s club with a menu that is “like a stripped-down version of The Ivy’s, with plenty of modern British staples”.

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