Philip Khoury: The Chef Who Turned a Love of Baking Into a Global Career
From a design student in Sydney to Head Pastry Chef at Harrods, his story includes a bold career change, award-winning cookbooks, and a chocolate business inspired by family roots.
Introduction
Philip Khoury is a Lebanese-Australian pastry chef, cookbook author, and founder of the London chocolate brand Khourys. He is best known for his work as the former Head Pastry Chef at Harrods, his plant-based desserts, and his award-winning cookbook A New Way to Bake.
His career started far from London’s luxury food halls. He studied design in Australia before choosing a different profession. Baking caught his attention. Then it became his full-time work.
Today, he is known for creating desserts using plant-based ingredients, sharing his recipes through books, and making chocolate inspired by cities around the world.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Philip Khoury |
| Also known as | Phil Khoury |
| Birth year | Not independently confirmed |
| Birthplace | Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Family background | Lebanese |
| Profession | Pastry chef, cookbook author, entrepreneur |
| Education | Western Sydney University |
| Professional training | Pastry and baking |
| Former position | Head Pastry Chef at Harrods |
| Career background | Quay Restaurant, Adriano Zumbo, Harrods |
| Famous for | Plant-based pastry and chocolate |
| First cookbook | A New Way to Bake (2023) |
| Second cookbook | Beyond Baking (2025) |
| Business | Khourys |
| Major award | 2024 Fortnum & Mason Best Debut Cookery Book |
| Current work | Chocolate business, publishing, and food projects |
| Official website | https://www.philipkhoury.com/ |
Early Life and Family Background
Philip grew up in Australia with strong connections to Lebanese culture.
His parents came from Lebanon. His mother’s family roots are in Tannourine, while his father’s family comes from the northern part of the country.
Food mattered at home.
Family meals introduced him to flavours that would later appear in his professional work. Lebanese cooking, sweet pastries, and traditional family recipes were part of his childhood.
His upbringing connected two cultures. Australia was home, but Lebanon remained part of his family identity.
That connection stayed with him. Years later, he used Lebanese ingredients and memories to create one of his best-known chocolate products.
His early experiences also taught him that food could tell personal stories. People remember tastes. They remember celebrations, too.
Those memories would return throughout his career.
Education and His First Career Choice
He did not start as a chef.
Khoury attended Western Sydney University, where he studied design. At that stage, he was interested in creative work and had not yet committed to professional pastry.
Still, he enjoyed baking.
Design and pastry might seem unrelated, but both require attention to appearance, proportion, and detail. His university background later became useful when developing desserts and chocolate packaging.
A trip to Paris changed things.
While visiting the French capital, he experienced the work of leading pastry makers, including Pierre Hermé.
The quality of the pastries impressed him. He began to see baking as a career rather than simply a hobby.
He decided to pursue pastry seriously.
That meant learning new skills, understanding ingredients, and gaining professional kitchen experience.
His career began moving in a different direction.
First Steps in Professional Kitchens
Khoury developed his professional skills in Australia.
One of his early workplaces was Quay, a well-known Sydney restaurant associated with chef Peter Gilmore.
Working in a restaurant of that standard meant learning to produce desserts under demanding conditions.
Every detail mattered.
Taste had to be consistent. Presentation needed care. Kitchen teams had to work together.
He later worked with Australian pastry chef Adriano Zumbo.
Zumbo became widely known for his creative desserts and appearances on food television. Working alongside him gave Khoury more experience in pastry development and production.
This part of his career mattered.
He was learning how professional kitchens operated, how recipes could be tested, and how new dessert ideas could move from small experiments to finished products.
His next opportunity took him overseas.
Moving to London and Joining Harrods
In 2018, Khoury joined Harrods in London.
Harrods is one of Britain’s best-known luxury department stores, with food halls, restaurants, and an extensive range of desserts and confectionery.
He went on to become Head Pastry Chef.
It was a demanding job.
He worked with a large team responsible for producing desserts across different parts of the business.
His responsibilities included pastry development, celebration cakes, restaurant desserts, and projects involving other luxury brands.
In an August 2023 interview published by Harrods, he discussed the size of the operation and the opportunities available to its pastry team.
He also spoke about working on the store’s celebration cake range and the opening of the Angelo Musa patisserie.
For Khoury, Harrods became an important chapter.
He spent approximately six years with the business before leaving to develop his independent work.
Why His Plant-Based Desserts Became Famous
One of the main reasons Khoury attracted international attention was his approach to plant-based baking.
Traditional pastry often depends on butter, eggs, cream, and milk.
He wanted to find different ways to make familiar desserts using plant ingredients.
The challenge was technical.
Eggs give structure to cakes. Butter changes texture. Cream adds richness. Removing these ingredients means understanding what they actually do inside a recipe.
So he tested alternatives.
He worked with everyday ingredients and developed recipes that aimed to keep the taste, texture, and appearance people expected.
His goal was simple.
Make good desserts that more people could enjoy.
He did not want plant-based pastry to feel like a separate category of lesser-quality food.
His work received recognition in professional kitchens, food publications, and the wider baking community.
It also became the subject of his first cookbook.
His First Cookbook: A New Way to Bake
In 2023, Khoury published A New Way to Bake.
The book introduced his approach to baking without eggs and dairy products.
It included familiar sweet recipes made with plant-based ingredients, alongside explanations of how the recipes worked.
He wanted readers to understand the process.
That meant explaining techniques rather than simply providing ingredient lists.
The book also included QR codes linking readers to video demonstrations.
This gave home bakers another way to learn.
Some techniques are easier to understand through movement than through written instructions.
The book gained positive attention and became one of his most recognised projects.
In 2024, it won the Fortnum & Mason Best Debut Cookery Book Award.
That was a major achievement.
It gave Khoury’s approach to pastry recognition outside the kitchens where he had built his career.
Second Cookbook: Beyond Baking
His second cookbook, Beyond Baking, was published on 2 October 2025 by Quadrille.
The book continued his work with plant-based ingredients while covering a wider range of baking techniques.
Readers could find recipes for breads, pastries, and savoury baked dishes.
The recipes included technically demanding preparations alongside more familiar food.
The book also provided explanations of ingredients and methods.
For Khoury, teaching remained an important part of the work.
He wanted people to understand why a recipe succeeded and what each ingredient contributed.
Beyond Baking contains 256 pages and builds on the ideas introduced in his first book.
By this point, he had become known as both a professional pastry chef and a baking author.
Leaving Harrods and Starting His Own Business
After years at Harrods, Khoury decided to work independently.
He left his position and began developing his own chocolate business.
The brand was named Khourys.
It was a personal move.
Instead of creating desserts for an established department store, he could now work on products carrying his own name.
The business focused on handmade chocolate with flavours inspired by places, cultures, and memories.
The idea started with Beirut Chocolate.
A chocolate bar created for a charity bake sale supporting Lebanon received an enthusiastic response.
That early interest encouraged him to continue.
He developed the idea into a wider collection.
Khourys became a London-based confectionery business producing chocolate in small batches.
Beirut Chocolate and His Lebanese Roots
Beirut Chocolate has a special place in Khoury’s career.
The product brings together flavours associated with Lebanese desserts.
Its filling includes orange blossom caramel, cashew baklava crunch, and smooth cashew cream.
These ingredients give the bar several textures.
There is sweetness, crunch, and richness.
For Khoury, the product also has a personal meaning because of his Lebanese family background.
The chocolate became popular online and attracted considerable attention.
What began as a charity creation developed into the starting point for his independent brand.
He later created chocolate bars inspired by other cities.
Among them were London, Paris, New York, Doha, and Oaxaca.
Each product had a different flavour idea.
The London bar drew inspiration from Earl Grey tea and biscuits. The New York creation used apple pie flavours, while the Doha bar included cardamom coffee and dates.
This allowed him to combine baking experience with chocolate-making and packaging design.
A Return to Harrods in 2026
Khoury returned to Harrods in July 2026.
But this time, things were different.
He was no longer returning as an employee. He came back as the founder of his own chocolate company.
His brand held a pop-up in the store’s Chocolate Hall, with products from the city-inspired collection.
The opening took place on 15 July 2026.
For someone who had spent years developing desserts inside Harrods, selling products there under his own brand marked a new stage in his career.
The launch received coverage from food publications and Lebanese media.
It also introduced the chocolate collection to Harrods shoppers.
By October 2026, he continued to work as a pastry chef, author, and chocolate entrepreneur.
Awards and Professional Recognition
Khoury has received recognition for his pastry work and cookbooks.
Some of his documented achievements include:
| Year | Award or achievement |
|---|---|
| 2023 | La Liste Pastry Award for Innovation |
| 2023 | Publication of A New Way to Bake |
| 2024 | Fortnum & Mason Best Debut Cookery Book Award |
| 2024 | German Cookbook Prize recognition for baking |
| 2024 | Honorary Fellowship from Western Sydney University |
| 2025 | Publication of Beyond Baking |
| 2025 | Development of his independent chocolate business |
| 2026 | Khourys chocolate pop-up at Harrods |
His Honorary Fellowship from Western Sydney University was especially meaningful.
He returned to the institution where he had studied design, but this time as a recognised professional in an entirely different field.
The university announced his recognition during its October 2024 graduation celebrations.
Television and Media Appearances
Khoury has appeared in food programmes and professional cooking media.
His official website lists appearances on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and a guest judging role on Bake Off: The Professionals.
His work has also appeared in publications such as The Guardian, The Times, and BBC Good Food.
These appearances helped introduce his methods to audiences outside professional pastry kitchens.
His cookbooks gave people the chance to try similar techniques at home.
He has also spoken in interviews about his career change, family background, and interest in baking with plant ingredients.
Personal Life and Relationships
Khoury shares information about his work and family heritage through interviews and public appearances.
However, some parts of his private life remain outside the public record.
There is no reliable public confirmation of his marriage or current relationship status.
Details about any children are also not established through the sources reviewed.
His parents’ Lebanese origins are documented, but their full names have not been reliably verified.
His height and personal financial details are not publicly established either.
It would be wrong to present guesses as facts.
His professional history provides plenty of information without making assumptions about private matters.
Net Worth and Earnings
There is no verified public figure for Khoury’s net worth.
His professional income may come from several activities, including published books, his chocolate business, media work, and culinary collaborations.
Still, the value of those activities is not publicly confirmed.
Sales figures and business revenue have not been established through reliable public financial reporting.
For that reason, assigning him a specific net worth would be speculative.
What Makes His Career Different?
Khoury’s career took an unusual route.
He first studied design, then trained as a pastry chef, built a reputation at Harrods, and moved into publishing and chocolate production.
Each stage required different skills.
His design background helped with the visual side of pastry. Professional kitchens taught him discipline and production. Writing books allowed him to share his knowledge.
Starting his own company brought another set of challenges.
He had to think beyond recipes.
Packaging, product development, production, and building customer interest all became part of his work.
His career also reflects a growing interest in desserts made without animal ingredients.
He has helped show how traditional pastry methods can be adapted using plants.
Where Is He Now?
As of October 2026, Khoury is based professionally in London and is focused on his chocolate business and culinary projects.
He is no longer serving as Head Pastry Chef at Harrods.
His company, Khourys, produces chocolate bars and confectionery inspired by different cities.
He is also the author of two cookbooks.
In October 2026, woman&home published a feature involving his chocolate-cherry fudge cake for the magazine’s centenary celebrations.
His latest work continues to connect professional pastry, chocolate-making, and recipe development.
Final Thought
Philip Khoury’s career did not follow a straight line.
He studied design. Then he chose pastry.
Years of work in Australia led him to Harrods, where he developed recipes and worked with a large professional team.
His books brought that knowledge to home kitchens. His chocolate company gave him the chance to build something of his own.
Today, his story is about skill, changing direction, and staying connected to family traditions through food.
From Sydney to London, he has built a career around an interest that started long before professional kitchens became part of his life.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Philip Khoury?
Philip Khoury is a Lebanese-Australian pastry chef, cookbook author, and chocolate entrepreneur. He formerly worked as Head Pastry Chef at Harrods in London.
2. Where is he from?
He grew up in Australia and comes from a family with Lebanese roots.
3. How old is he?
His exact date of birth has not been independently confirmed through the reliable primary sources reviewed.
4. What is he famous for?
He is famous for plant-based pastry, his work at Harrods, his cookbooks, and the Khourys chocolate brand.
5. Is he still working at Harrods?
No. He left his senior pastry role and founded his own chocolate business. He returned to Harrods in July 2026 for a brand pop-up.
6. What books has he written?
He has written A New Way to Bake (2023) and Beyond Baking (2025).
7. Is he married?
His marital status has not been reliably confirmed in publicly available sources.
8. What is his net worth?
There is no verified public estimate of his personal net worth.
