Phil Howard (chef) facts for kids
| Born | 1966 (age 58–59) Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa |
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| Cooking style | French/British |
| Education | University of Kent |
| Spouse |
Jennie
(m. 1989; div. 1997)
(m. 1999) |
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Rating(s)
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Current restaurant(s)
Elystan Street
 Kitchen W8 |
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Previous restaurant(s)
The Square
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Philip Howard (born 1966) is a famous chef and restaurant owner from South Africa and Britain. He is known for his amazing cooking skills. He learned a lot by working with other top chefs like Marco Pierre White.
Phil Howard and his business partner, Nigel Platts-Martin, opened a restaurant called The Square in London in 1991. Even though they were new to running a restaurant, it became very successful.
The Square earned special awards called Michelin stars. These stars show that a restaurant has excellent food. Phil Howard kept these stars for many years. Later, he opened a new restaurant called Elystan Street in 2016. This restaurant also quickly earned a Michelin star.
Phil Howard also owns other restaurants and has won many awards for his cooking. You might have seen him on TV shows like Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Philip Howard was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1966. When he was seven, his family moved to England. He later went to the University of Kent. There, he studied microbiology, which is the study of tiny living things.
Starting His Cooking Journey
While at university, Phil discovered he loved to cook. After graduating in 1988, he decided to become a chef instead of working in microbiology. He even cooked and sold food from a old Volkswagen van in Australia for a short time!
When he returned to England, he started working for a big restaurant group called Roux Restaurants. One evening, he ate at a restaurant called Harveys and was amazed by the food. He then got a job there in 1989. This is where he learned a lot about modern French cooking.
After Harveys, he worked at Bibendum. There, he learned how important it is for food to have great quality and simple, strong flavors. Even after leaving Harveys, he stayed in touch with Marco Pierre White, who often asked him to try new dishes.
The Square Restaurant (1991–2016)
In 1990, Marco Pierre White asked Phil Howard to come back to Harveys. The plan was for Phil to become the head chef for a new restaurant. However, White and his business partner decided not to work together on that project.
So, Phil Howard and Nigel Platts-Martin opened their own fine dining restaurant, The Square, in London on December 13, 1991. Phil was the head chef. He focused on simple, elegant, and modern French-style cooking.
The Square quickly became famous. In December 1994, it earned its first Michelin star. This was a huge achievement! The restaurant moved to a new location in 1997 and earned its second Michelin star in 1998. The Square also received high ratings from other food guides.
Phil Howard and Nigel Platts-Martin sold The Square in March 2016. Phil also wrote two cookbooks about The Square, sharing his amazing recipes.
Other Restaurants and Projects
Phil Howard has opened several other restaurants. Some of these are more relaxed and casual than The Square was.
He co-owns a restaurant called The Ledbury which opened in 2005. He also co-owns Kensington restaurant Kitchen W8 since 2009. Kitchen W8 earned its first Michelin star in 2011 and has kept it ever since.
In 2012, Phil and his business partner Rebecca Mascarenhas also became co-owners of Sonny's Kitchen. This restaurant later reopened as Church Road in 2019.
On September 27, 2016, Phil Howard and Rebecca Mascarenhas opened a new restaurant called Elystan Street in Chelsea. This restaurant is more casual than The Square. The menu has many vegetarian options and the cooking is less complicated. Elystan Street earned its first Michelin star in 2017 and has kept it every year since.
Phil also owned a restaurant called Union at a ski resort in France. He even bought a chalet there for family vacations. Union opened in 2017 but closed in April 2024.
In 2021, Phil Howard started a pasta delivery service in London called Otto. The name was later changed to Notto. In November 2022, he opened a pasta restaurant also called Notto.
Judging and Television Appearances
Phil Howard has been a judge for several cooking competitions. He was the chairman for the Young Chef Young Waiter competition in 2005. He also helped judge the Chef Award at the Catey Awards in 2010.
Even though he usually avoids TV, Phil has appeared on shows like MasterChef: The Professionals and Saturday Kitchen. He was also a contestant on Great British Menu. In 2012, his winning fish dish was served at a special banquet for the Olympic athletes! He has also appeared as a judge on Great British Menu since then.
Awards and Honors
Phil Howard has won many awards throughout his career. Here are some of them:
- Chef Award at the 1998 Catey Awards
- Restaurant Chef at the 2005 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards
- Chefs' Chef at the 2008–09 AA Hospitality Awards
- Restaurateur of the Year (Independent) at the 2011 Catey Awards
- Chefs' Chef of the Year at the 2016 National Restaurant Awards
- Best Chef at the 2017 GQ Food & Drink Awards
- Mentor Chef Award at the 2022 Michelin Great Britain and Ireland special awards
He also received a Special Award at the 2011 Craft Guild of Chefs Awards. In 2018, the University of Kent gave him an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. This was to celebrate his amazing life and contributions to the world of food.
Personal Life
Phil Howard is married to Jennie. They have two children together. The family has lived in Barnes, London since around 1999 or 2000.
