He's travelled the world, cooked for royalty, and put Liverpool on the food map

Countless chefs have made a name for themselves in Liverpool but none more so than Paul Askew. Throughout his career, the gastronomy expert had a hand in developing some of the city's most famous culinary experiences, from the London Carriage Works and Philharmonic Hall to the Art School, with the latter celebrating 10 incredible years of success today, September 2.

Paul moved to Liverpool from Sunderland when he was just four years old. He didn't grow up with your typical plate of Scouse, nor was it in Liverpool he discovered his passion for food; he started his culinary journey on the other side of the world.

Paul told the ECHO: "My dad was a merchant navy sea captain so we travelled a lot. He got posted in Dubai when I was 11 which is where I spent a lot of my youth. That's where I went to school and that's where I started to discover food. I don't think I appreciated being there as a child but looking back and recognising I got to experience that cultural difference is incredible.

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"In Dubai, there's a lot of lamb, goat, brazed rice dishes and Arabic food is really perfumed in general. It's fragrant with a lot of spices and very different from what you get [in Liverpool]. When I smell things now I get transported back there."

In 1997, Paul and his family moved to Singapore where he found a new home wandering the fish markets and examining the food stalls. Paul would travel back to Merseyside during his school holidays which is where he got his first taste in a professional setting, working as a kitchen porter in Thornton Hall.

He said: "Up until that point, I never decided I wanted to work in a kitchen. I started to enjoy the camaraderie, the hustle and the challenge, which is what swayed me to become a chef."

Paul went on to study hotel operations while specialising in culinary arts to the displeasure of his father. He added: "My dad hated the fact I wanted to be a chef. Back then, there was no money in the job and it was a stressful thing to do. There's still a lot of that today but less so."

As Paul worked the hotel circuit, he was offered a job as a relief chef in Manchester, allowing him to travel and learn from more experienced cooks in the industry. At this time, the food scene consisted of "prawn cocktails and black forest gateaux" which Paul found monotonous. So, attempting to stir up some excitement, he pitched the idea of more experimental menus inspired by his childhood in Asia.

There was no appetite for foreign flair in the north or even in London where the industry continued to change. In 1987, Paul packed his bags and moved to New York where he worked for the Herberts Group of restaurants allowing him to follow a more exciting path in the industry.

He said: "I applied to all the big hotels in London and they weren't recruiting people from Liverpool. There was a snobbery to the city back then and very little appreciation for what we, as chefs, could do. So, I moved to New York with a friend and worked as a sous chef for a couple of years.

"I was exposed to lots of different food cultures like Italian, Jewish, Asian and so many more. It was exactly what I wanted. One day I was working with the jockey clubs or running a down restaurant. It was exciting. It was what any chef would want."

Paul flourished in the States but flew back in 1995 for a brief stint in Cheshire's Wincham Hall - his first role as a head chef. A few months later, Paul spearheaded the grand reopening of the iconic Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool.

He said: "The hall had just undergone a £15m refurbishment so the reopening was a major event. I was always in love with Liverpool from an early age so it never felt like a downgrade from New York. Because I got turned down by London, I always wanted to come back from America and do something greater in my home city to prove it could be done.

"Liverpool was treated poorly in the press and we were looked at very differently in the country. I wanted to prove Liverpool had capital city standards using all local assets and to tell a story. The Philharmonic Hall was probably the biggest place in the city at the time so it was a great place to start. There was so much going on around it. We'd host summer pop-ups on the King's Dock in tents or be backstage catering for the likes of Nina Simone or the orchestra.

Just one year later, Paul and his team would prove themselves to career-defining guests, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip. The queen met residents from the new flats at the Bullring in Copperas Hill and staff from the community centre before attending a dinner at the town hall.

Paul said: "The atmosphere in the kitchen was intense. Security and MI5 were watching at the pass and we were vetted before starting. The menus were approved by the palace and on the day security was everywhere. It was a big step for Liverpool too. We got real notoriety from the visit and so did I personally.

Paul worked at the Philarmonic for the next seven years building his and Liverpool's profile. By 2002, it was time for yet another change but this wasn't another across-the-world venture, it was across the street. Paul said: "My good pal Dave Brewitt was a local property developer and bought a place called Buckingham's Furniture Depository on Hope Street. This would eventually become the London Carriage Works we know today. He was searching for a restaurant and bar operator to come in and run things and it was a great opportunity to be a a part of.

"The rest is history, really. There was nothing else like it at the time. There were a few places dotted around the city but we really knocked it out of the park. We put Liverpool on the map in terms of food and hospitality. It was a big step for the city and us and were very conscious to give back to everyone who supported our own growth for so long. When we got going we were the hotel and restaurant in Liverpool.

"Dave and I worked together for years. We built an incredible team and watched so many great chefs go on to their own journeys. Dave began developing the building of The Art School and around this time he knew I wanted to do my own thing and focus on that. There was no drama. We built a great legacy together and it felt like a natural progression. So I moved from London Carriage Works and opened the Art School in 2014 in my own vision. I kind of started from scratch."

Paul built the Art School from the ground up on his own name and merits. He wanted a venue where white linen gastronomy met great food that met great wine. In an attempt to bring capital city standards to Liverpool, the Art School did so in spadefuls and continues to enjoy success a decade later.

Paul said: "We made a big statement and it took a little while to keep going and once it found its feet it took off. I wanted to take it further than breakfast food and dinner and focus on excellent service and experience. I wanted a destination not just a meal.

"It's been a lovely journey. It's bizarre. It feels like a year ago we opened. Time flies so quickly and we love flying the flag of Liverpool. We've made no secrets about it. To celebrate, I might have a surprise party myself. Who knows? It's been a great journey to here."