Phil is an Essex boy from Dagenham, his dad was a butcher, and his mum, sister and nan were all professional cooks at Ford’s kitchen in Dagenham. Working for his Uncle Mick he moved from kitchen porter, to developing a love for food, tasting and preparing produce, in the initial stages of becoming a chef.  Phil then attended Thurrock College from where his culinary journey really took off.

Initially rejected by McDonald’s, aged 17, he joined 5 star, The Lanesborough Hotel’s 3-AA-rosette kitchen, later moving to the Orrery, where he was part of the team when a Michelin star was awarded.  Phil’s next roles in London included St Martin’s Lane Hotel and L’Escargot’s Picasso Room, another Michelin-starred, 3-rosette kitchen.

He then moved to Hertfordshire, where he spent 23 years.  Eleven of those were at l’Auberge du Lac, a former 17th century hunting lodge, where he achieved his own Michelin star and 3 rosettes.  This was part of the Brocket Hall estate, where he managed the golf club, Lord Brocket’s former home, the main hall, for functions, corporate events and weddings, as well as managing a private chef for the owners, who lived on the estate.  For the last 12 years, Phil ran his own fine-dining restaurant, Thompson St Albans.

The At Home Dining Thyme concept grew from Phil cooking in people’s homes as charity auction prizes, something he would love to do again, having recently moved to Bedfordshire.  In 2010, Phil also ran the London Marathon in five hours and twenty-six minutes for The Willow Foundation, which creates special memories for seriously ill young adults.

Phil loves sport, with rugby at the top of the list and was a huge fan of London Wasps.  He hopes to return to fishing and start up golf as a new hobby, when time allows.  He loves reading autobiographies, chef memoirs, cookery books, and thrillers by authors such as Dan Brown, Michael Crichton, and Lee Child.

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