Harrods Head Pâtissier Philip Khoury: "It took years of experimentation to perfect these recipes"

Philip Khoury is no stranger to greatness. Rising to the summit of classic pâtisserie at a young age, the multi-award-winning Australian pastry chef of Lebanese descent started his career at Quay in Sydney before becoming the right-hand man of Netflix star Adriano Zumbo. In 2018, he moved to Harrods in London, where he began experimenting with vegan recipes – with great success. Within two years, he rose to become head pâtissier, drawing in far more than just vegans with his sweet creations.

Sustainable baking

In 2023, he published his first book, A New Way To Bake, where he shared his purely plant-based recipes with the aim of making sustainable baking appealing to a wider audience. In his recipes, Khoury uses only natural ingredients that are readily available everywhere and explains how they affect the dough. He spoke to Falstaff about what exactly a "new way of baking" means to him.

Falstaff: Your book  is called "A New Way to Bake". What can baking enthusiasts expect from your recipes?

Philip Khoury: A wide variety of beloved classics, reimagined with plant-based ingredients. My goal was to create recipes that feel indulgent and familiar, but offer a fresh take, using natural ingredients like olive oil, dark chocolate, plant flour and plant based milks. From classics like chocolate chip cookies to more intricate desserts like my olive oil and sweet potato "vrioche," there’s a mix of comfort food and original creations.

You are a classically-trained pâtissier. When did you start recreating desserts with plant-based ingredients, and what was your motivation?

Khoury: I began exploring plant-based baking when I became more aware of the impact of the food industry’s reliance on animal products. It started as a personal challenge to see if I could achieve the same quality and enjoyment in my pastries while embracing more sustainable, plant-based options. This journey really took off during my time at Harrods, where I developed and launched numerous plant-based desserts just to see how they’d do. The response was fantastic, and that encouraged me to go further.

What are the predominant misconceptions regarding plant-based desserts compared to traditional recipes?

Khoury: One of the biggest misconceptions is that plant-based desserts can’t match the texture and richness of traditional ones. Many people think you’re compromising on flavor or richness, but that’s simply not true. In fact, I’ve found that some plant-based ingredients offer a cleaner, sometimes more vibrant taste. It’s all about understanding how to balance the right ingredients.

What was your approach to creating  new recipes? What is the “new way to bake”?

Khoury: The “new way to bake” is about stripping recipes down to their basics and rebuilding them with plant-based ingredients that are globally available. I wasn’t interested in just swapping out dairy or eggs for substitutes. Instead, I wanted to explore the potential of natural ingredients like flour, sugar and olive oil to create pastries that are as delicious as their traditional counterparts – but made in a more sustainable way.

As Head Pastry Chef at Harrods, you represent a certain level of excellence. How long did it take you to achieve satisfying results without dairy and eggs?

Khoury: It took years of experimentation to devise recipes that I felt were on par with, or even better than, the traditional versions. Some, like my "vrioche" – a plant-based brioche – took countless hours to perfect. Achieving the right texture and flavor while staying true to my standards of quality was a challenge, but the results have been incredibly rewarding.

Is it difficult for readers of your book to recreate your recipes?

Khoury: Not at all. I designed them to be accessible for home bakers and professionals alike. Each recipe is accompanied by a video tutorial, so readers can follow along and feel confident in their baking. The ingredients are also easy to source, so anyone can try them, regardless of their experience.

Are there still desserts you haven’t been able to recreate?

Khoury: There are a few! I’m constantly learning and pushing boundaries, but there are certain textures, particularly with highly aerated pastries, that are still tricky to get right. But I see these challenges as opportunities for further exploration.

And which ones taste even better than the non-plant-based version?

Khoury: The chocolate chip cookies, apple pie and chocolate fudge cake have really surprised people. They deliver such faithful textures annd flavors, and many who try them prefer them to their traditional counterparts. It’s exciting to see how these ingredients can elevate classic desserts in unexpected ways.

Can you tell us about your upcoming projects?

Khoury: I’m always working on new ideas. Right now, I’m focused on developing more plant-based products for Harrods and exploring how we can further push the boundaries of sustainable pastry-making. I’m also considering another book that dives deeper into more intricate plant-based techniques.