A WIRRAL chef, who cooked for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, is celebrating his 40th anniversary in gastronomy this month

Chef Patron Paul Askew is marking his 40 years in the industry by reflecting on memorable moments in his career.

During the start of his career, Paul, cooked for The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh during a civic visit and they dined at the Town Hall in Liverpool.

Paul told the Globe: “This was a huge honour for me to cook for them in one of Liverpool’s most iconic buildings, and being such esteemed guests really helped my career to develop whilst I was embarking on my culinary journey.

“It was a truly great experience and one I will never forget. I offer my condolences to all of the Royal Family during this very difficult time.”

Alongside royal experiences, Paul is celebrating eight years at his restaurant, The Art School, based in Liverpool city centre this month.

During the last year, Paul and his team have been busy leading several huge events in parallel to Paul’s 40th anniversary year in food and drink.

Paul said: “So much has happened in the last 12 months as I’ve celebrated my 40th year in gastronomy and now we have reached an incredible eight years with The Art School.

“I’m incredibly proud of all we have achieved so far, and we will continue our pursuit of culinary excellence of the highest level for the city.

“In December 2021, we had the immense honour of cooking for the G7 delegation who came to Liverpool, hosting leaders from the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Canada and Japan.

"Our task was to embody the flavours, spirit and history of Liverpool across two services and distil the essence of our great city for these global leaders onto their plates.

"We are very proud and incredibly happy how that weekend unfolded, a true honour to cook for such esteemed guests as we put Liverpool on the global stage in a unique way.

“Then in April, we finally got to bring The Art School to The Grand National in Aintree and set up our kitchen in the fabled Topham House across a magical weekend.

"We also launched Taste Liverpool. Drink Bordeaux in June, a collaboration between the city council and the private sector with BID Liverpool.

“I am proudly the festival’s Patron and it was a huge city-wide success. We were privileged to take over the hallowed Martins Bank Building for the duration of Taste Liverpool. Drink Bordeaux with the Bar Au Vin, augmenting our relationship with the CIVB (Bordeaux Wine Council).”