Ex-labourer now runs top restaurant
GATESHEAD-born chef Paul Kitching has been given the royal seal of approval for his outstanding culinary career.
The cook has come a long way from his humble beginnings, at Barry’s Bakery in Dunston, to win the Prince Philip Medal.
He received his award from Princess Anne at Buckingham Palace at the annual City and Guilds ceremony.
Paul, who now runs his own Michelin-starred restaurant in Edinburgh, was recognised for his soaring career and dedication to succeeding in the industry. He said: “I’m so happy to be named the Prince Philip Medal winner by the Princess Royal, and to be recognised for what I’ve achieved. This is undoubtedly the high point of my career.
“There are so many great chefs out there so it’s an honour to receive this award. It’s a real sign of how far I’ve come since starting out with my City and Guilds qualification over 25 years ago. It took a lot of time, dedication and perseverance to get here, but it just goes to show that if I can follow my dreams and succeed, anyone can.”
Paul, who grew up in Low Fell and went to Dryden Road Senior School, started his working life as a labourer on a building site.
But he discovered his love for food aged 20, when he was laid off by the builder and started working night shifts at the Gateshead bakery. He had applied for the job thinking he would just be sweeping the floor and tidying up mess.
However, the position was for an apprentice baker and over the next two years, he learned how to bake bread from scratch.
Next was a stint working as a pot washer in a kitchen at a Latin American restaurant housed in the bottom of a Tyneside tower block. But, after three years of training at Newcastle Polytechnic, his first chance in a professional kitchen came at Gosforth Park Hotel.
He later moved on to a large hotel in York on the banks of the River Ouse and eventually he took the helm at the critically acclaimed restaurant Juniper in Manchester which he ran with great success for more than a decade.
His style of cooking at Juniper – with 30-plus course meals and bizarre food combinations – earned him a reputation as the “Catweazle of the kitchen”.
He opened his own venture, called 21212, in the Scottish capital with his partner Katie O’Brien in 2009.
The restaurant won Best New Restaurant in the UK 2009 at the National Restaurant Awards and in January 2010, only eight months after opening, received a coveted Michelin star.
CEO and director general of City and Guilds Chris Jones said: “To be awarded the Prince Philip Medal by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal is a real honour and a sign of exceptional achievement.
“Paul should be incredibly proud of what he has already accomplished, and I’m sure he will see further successes in the future.”
