Paul Cunningham (born 1969) is an English chef working in Denmark. He was awarded a Michelin star at The Paul ( da) and as of 2017 [update], has two stars at Henne Kirkeby Kro.
Cunningham was born and grew up in rural Essex. [1] He first worked as a cook in a country pub in Widdington and then in various restaurants and country house hotels, including Danesfield House and Lords of the Manor, before moving to Denmark in 1994. [1] [2] [3] [4]
In Denmark Cunningham started as fish cook and became head chef at Søllerød Kro, which during his time there acquired one of the first Michelin stars awarded in the country, [1] [4] then at Formel B , where he trained Mads Refslund , and at Coquus and Plaza before becoming co-owner and chef at The Paul, located in Glassalen, the glass pavilion at Tivoli in Copenhagen. [2] [5] [6] The park had had a reputation for poor food; at The Paul, Cunningham became a celebrity chef, cooking for Margrethe II of Denmark, Helena Christensen, and for Bill Clinton, Paris Hilton and Metallica when they visited Denmark. [1] [7] The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2003, [3] nine months after opening. [8]
After the restaurant suffered from the financial crisis [4] and after being hospitalised in spring 2011 with a stress-related condition and refused reduced hours by Tivoli management, [1] [7] Cunningham closed The Paul late that year. [9] He then in 2012 succeeded Allan Poulsen as chef at Henne Kirkeby Kro, an eighteenth-century inn (kro) in Henne Kirkeby , a village in Varde Municipality. [1] [2] [10] Henne Kirkeby Kro was awarded its first Michelin star in 2016 [2] [4] and a second in 2017. [3] [4] [11]
Cunningham was invited to open Noma but declined, suggesting René Redzepi. [8]
At previous restaurants, Cunningham's cooking used precision techniques such as molecular cuisine; at Henne Kirkeby Kro he announced that he would make use of the restaurant's kitchen garden—the largest in Denmark—and access to the coast and fresh fish to perform "intuitive", jazz-inspired cooking. [1] He has said that his cooking is not Nordic cuisine as such: that he is "an incorrigible Francophile" and "[has] travelled too much to say no to Pakistani mangoes or galangal". [7] He decides everything about the menu, which he has called "a gastronome's Russian roulette"; [7] it "may consist of anything from pig ears with oyster aioli to duck decorated with marigolds" [8] and emphasises the fresh ingredients. [12]
Cunningham is a member of a chef's collective called Gelinaz! [3] He has also won the Danish hot-dog championship three times. [2]
As of February 2017 [update], Cunningham has published eight cookery books. [3]
Cunningham lives in Korsør with his wife, Lene, and children, [1] currently spending half the week there because of the distance from Henne Kirkeby, [8] and is active as a photographer. [2] He says that he cannot work without music. [8]
Paul Cunningham (born 1969) is an English chef working in Denmark. He was awarded a Michelin star at The Paul ( da) and as of 2017 [update], has two stars at Henne Kirkeby Kro.
Cunningham was born and grew up in rural Essex. [1] He first worked as a cook in a country pub in Widdington and then in various restaurants and country house hotels, including Danesfield House and Lords of the Manor, before moving to Denmark in 1994. [1] [2] [3] [4]
In Denmark Cunningham started as fish cook and became head chef at Søllerød Kro, which during his time there acquired one of the first Michelin stars awarded in the country, [1] [4] then at Formel B , where he trained Mads Refslund , and at Coquus and Plaza before becoming co-owner and chef at The Paul, located in Glassalen, the glass pavilion at Tivoli in Copenhagen. [2] [5] [6] The park had had a reputation for poor food; at The Paul, Cunningham became a celebrity chef, cooking for Margrethe II of Denmark, Helena Christensen, and for Bill Clinton, Paris Hilton and Metallica when they visited Denmark. [1] [7] The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2003, [3] nine months after opening. [8]
After the restaurant suffered from the financial crisis [4] and after being hospitalised in spring 2011 with a stress-related condition and refused reduced hours by Tivoli management, [1] [7] Cunningham closed The Paul late that year. [9] He then in 2012 succeeded Allan Poulsen as chef at Henne Kirkeby Kro, an eighteenth-century inn (kro) in Henne Kirkeby , a village in Varde Municipality. [1] [2] [10] Henne Kirkeby Kro was awarded its first Michelin star in 2016 [2] [4] and a second in 2017. [3] [4] [11]
Cunningham was invited to open Noma but declined, suggesting René Redzepi. [8]
At previous restaurants, Cunningham's cooking used precision techniques such as molecular cuisine; at Henne Kirkeby Kro he announced that he would make use of the restaurant's kitchen garden—the largest in Denmark—and access to the coast and fresh fish to perform "intuitive", jazz-inspired cooking. [1] He has said that his cooking is not Nordic cuisine as such: that he is "an incorrigible Francophile" and "[has] travelled too much to say no to Pakistani mangoes or galangal". [7] He decides everything about the menu, which he has called "a gastronome's Russian roulette"; [7] it "may consist of anything from pig ears with oyster aioli to duck decorated with marigolds" [8] and emphasises the fresh ingredients. [12]
Cunningham is a member of a chef's collective called Gelinaz! [3] He has also won the Danish hot-dog championship three times. [2]
As of February 2017 [update], Cunningham has published eight cookery books. [3]
Cunningham lives in Korsør with his wife, Lene, and children, [1] currently spending half the week there because of the distance from Henne Kirkeby, [8] and is active as a photographer. [2] He says that he cannot work without music. [8]