Aiden Byrne and Brian Hughson: The Liverpool lads cooking up a storm in London

Mar 25 2008 Paddy Shennan

THEY’RE the boys from Kirkby and Speke whose classic culinary creations have won the hearts of London’s fine diners – and the minds of Michelin star judges.

Aiden Byrne and Brian Hughson have proved they can stand the heat after achieving stunning success in high-pressure kitchens across the country.

You may not have been fortunate enough to sample their food and, despite their various appearances on TV, you may not know their faces, but you can be proud that they are punching their weight alongside star names like Gordon Ramsay and Gary Rhodes.

Incredibly driven, as well as naturally gifted, and with three prestigious Michelin stars between them, they are, like Southport’s Marcus Wareing, among Merseyside’s many successful catering exports.

Aiden Byrne, 35, who attended Ruffwood comprehensive in Kirkby, credits his cousin, Alan Feeney, for getting him interested in cooking.

He explains: “Growing up, I always looked up to Alan, who was two years older. He chose to do catering so I chose to do catering.

“Also, my late grandad, Cecil, was a chef in the Merchant Navy, so I think there was definitely something hiding away there.”

Aiden had found his vocation at 14 and, as a result, was then named student of the year two years running.

Later, after two years studying catering at the then Knowsley Central Tertiary College in Roby, he got a job in the kitchens of London’s Royal Garden Hotel.

“I was there for about six months and hated every minute of it. This can be a hardcore industry and not a nice place to be when you’re young and naive – being locked in the fridges is one of my memories. I couldn’t handle it and would cry myself to sleep.”

Aiden then made a beeline for Chester’s Grosvenor Hotel: “I kept on going in for nothing and after four weeks they got p***ed off and offered me a job as a commis chef.”

After 18 months, he left to pick up more experience in restaurants in Wilmslow and Leeds, before arriving at Adlard’s in Norwich where, aged 21, he was made head chef. At 22, he became the youngest chef to win a Michelin star.

“I’d never worn a suit in my life and here I was being asked to attend a Michelin dinner at the Savoy in a dicky bow! I was in the same room as Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay and Raymond Blanc – it was totally overwhelming and I had tears running down my face the whole night.”

After a stint at Pied a Terre in London, Aiden spent five years in Dublin, receiving a second Michelin star at The Commons restaurant. Then came spells at Tom Aikens in London and the Danesfield House Hotel in Buckinghamshire.

He was appointed head chef of The Grill at London’s Dorchester Hotel in 2006 and reveals: “My team and I are in the middle of putting a business plan forward to the hotel which could lead to The Grill changing its name for the first time in 75 years . . . to Aiden Byrne at The Dorchester.

“If it happens, it’ll be such a dream come true.”

Aiden, meanwhile, has a book out in the autumn called Made In Great Britain: “It will feature loads of recipes, tell the story of how food has developed in the last 15 years and how I, as a chef, was made in Great Britain.”

He adds: “I feel so fortunate. My job is my passion.”

Brian Hughson, 40, from Speke, was inspired to become a cook after seeing Gary Rhodes on TV . . . and ended up winning a Michelin star while working as his head chef!

He left Hillfoot Hey high school in Hunts Cross not knowing what to do with his life and, after moving to Cheshire, began working at Rolls-Royce in Crewe: “I saw Keith Floyd and Gary Rhodes on TV and decided to put myself through catering college, while still working regular nights. I didn’t get much sleep!

“I later worked part-time in an Italian restaurant in Cheshire and was the only English-speaking guy in the kitchen.

“ It wasn’t enjoyable – I don’t even want to think about that time!”

After a few months there, Brian got valuable experience at hotels in Staffordshire and back in Cheshire, before moving to Mash and Air in Manchester: “That was the best thing I ever did and the hardest kitchen I ever worked in.”

Then, in the late 1990s, Brian went to London to work for Gary Rhodes at Rhodes in the Square: “I learned so much from him because his food is so clean – and look at how successful he has been.”

Brian has also enjoyed spells at other London restaurants, including Frith Street, Pétrus, the Savoy Grill, 30 St Mary Axe (the Gherkin building), and, with Marco Pierre White, at the Mirabelle, Belvedere and Wheeler’s.

And he says: “Marco was fantastic. He’s the only person I’ve ever really been in awe of – he has such a presence.”

Last May, Brian rejoined Gary Rhodes for the launch of Rhodes W1 Restaurant – and the head chef’s first Michelin star arrived as early as December.

“I was gobsmacked,” he says. “But you can’t take anything for granted in this industry and you’ve got to work hard to keep hold of what you’ve got. Consistency is the key.

“You do need talent, but you also need to put in a lot of graft.

“I feel so lucky, though – we all do, because we enjoy what we are doing.”

He adds: “Every day there is a sense of achievement – there’s nothing better than seeing an empty plate coming back to the kitchen. I just love this job!”