Harrods chef, former Ryde TAFE student Philip Khoury calls for more funding

He helms the sweet food halls of the fabled Harrods department store but a trailblazing Aussie chef is bitter about the way the government has abandoned the training turf where he got a ‘world-class’ education.

Harrods' head pastry chef Philip Khoury is worried about the future of TAFE in NSW. Picture: Instagram

An “angry’’ Harrods chef and Ryde TAFE graduate has urged the government to halt “stripping the guts” out of funding to the respected campus and institution where he and other decorated cohorts cultivated their skills.

Philip Khoury – the Harrods’ head pastry chef lauded as a trailblazer for creating plant-based desserts at the Harrods’ kitchen in the London department store – studied retail and baking at the Ryde campus in 2013 and 2014 and is disgusted about massive funding cuts to multiple courses.

TAFE funding was axed by $196m in 2022-23 by the then Liberal government but Khoury said if immigration was cut, more investment on skills and training has to be made for Australians.

The 33-year-old said his cohort was the last that received a comprehensive pastry education after course durations and funding were slashed in half.

“Since then, they’ve now cut the funding so much that the course is now a fragment of what it used to be, so students are no longer learning techniques from scratch,’’ he said.

Massive TAFE funding cuts – particularly to the Ryde campus – have concerned Philip Khoury. Picture: Instagram

“They’re using premixes rather than learning recipes and the course is not even a Certificate III anymore – it’s like a random diploma – and they don’t leave with a proper qualification or experience or training.’’

The Oatlands-raised culinary star, who has worked at Harrods since 2018, continued to slam the neglect of TAFE.

“The quality of education you’re getting is non-existent and I think what that’s forcing people to do is have to invest huge amounts of money in private education, which is still not as good as what TAFE used to be,’’ he said.

“We’ve gone from having this world class, very-respected system of educating people in an essential skill to having nothing.

“It’s an education I would have gladly paid a lot more than I did for.

“I think it’s such a disgrace and it’s such a shame because when I went to TAFE I was very proud to go to TAFE, and to get the quality of education from the quality of teachers I had and to hear that it’s been stripped out so much makes me quite angry.’’

Philip Khoury has become a pioneer for plant-based desserts.

Before he worked with Adriano Zumbo, Khoury flexed his skills at hatted Sydney restaurant Quay with executive chef Peter Gilmore, who also studied at Ryde.

Other Ryde TAFE prolific graduates are celebrity chefs Matt Moran and Ed Halmagyi.

“ … TAFE is just not what it used to be and I just don’t understand the logic behind it,’’ Khoury said.

“They just stripped the guts out of it. It’s completely been dismantled.’’

Ryde campus is also home to the Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts school.

But the Labor government insists it is helping TAFE rise to the top again – even though it could be a slow cooker.

“It will take more than a year to rectify a decade of mishandling and inaction by the previous Liberal National government,’’ TAFE Minister Steve Whan said.

He said $2.13bn had been allocated towards TAFE in 2023-24, which was an increase of 6.8 per cent from the previous year’s $1.9bn under the Liberals.

At Ryde TAFE, $4.6m has been assigned for the upgrade of the hospitality facilities, with the government hosting “a number of courses” for chefs, ranging from six months to two years.

That included Certificate III courses in patisserie and baking, and a cake and pastry course.

“Throughout these courses, TAFE NSW students learn a range of techniques including breaking down ingredients and the food science behind a recipe,’’ Mr Whan said.

In June, the government announced a review of the vocational education system.

“A comprehensive review of the vocational education system will determine the full impact of Coalition cuts and establish a path to rebuilding TAFE,’’ Mr Whan said.

The review is due to be complete in mid-2024.

Western Sydney chefs represent in London

He grew up in Constitution Hill and Oatlands but Phil Khoury is not the only western Sydney native to showcase Australia’s pulling power at Harrods in London where he is the head pastry chef.

Joining him in the pastry department are Jasmine Cassidy who learned how to be a pastry chef at Campbelltown TAFE and Dreya Lukic from Parramatta who studied at Ultimo TAFE.

Philip Khoury with Jasmine Cassidy and Dreya Lukic.

She worked at the Royal Sydney Golf Club in Rose Bay before boarding a plane for London to work at Harrods where delicate and decadent desserts grace the storeyed food hall.

Cassidy grew up in Prestons and Gledswood Hills and went to high school Clancy Catholic College at West Hoxton before studying at TAFE and landing an apprenticeship with patissier Adriano Zumbo, where she met Khoury, and Sonoma baking company at Alexandria.

Inspired by Khoury’s Harrod’s London accomplishments, she joined him there in 2022.

“When I saw Phil move over and post all over his social media about the work and stuff he was doing here, I was really interested,’’ she said.

“It’s really good to find a sense of community in somewhere that’s so far away from home.

She echoed her boss’ comments about the importance of TAFE, where she studied a Certificate III and IV in pastry while working four days a week.

“It was a really good stepping stone into the industry,’’ she said.

“It was really good to have being in the workplace alongside school so I could apply my skills from school and work into school, trying to focus on building my skills.’’

Harrods' head pastry chef Philip Khoury at his brother Alan's wedding at Misc Parramatta Park.

A plant-based wedding cake Phil Khoury created for his brother’s wedding last year.

He is a trailblazer when it comes to dairy-free desserts.

Khoury said Harrods’ Aussie contingent showed the high standard of students TAFE produced and the government could not afford to abandon funding to vocational training.

“It’s a world class training system that is at risk of letting down the next generation of prospects,’’ he said.

“I feel chefs have been on the shortage list for how many decades.’’

The A New Way to Bake author expressed pride to work alongside his two Aussie expats who are part of a 60-strong team he oversees.

“It says a lot about the food scene and food culture in Australia,’’ he said.

“I think Australian food culture and food scene is absolutely world class and we are the beneficiaries of what was a world-system class.’’

Khoury noted the Harrods trend report for its products showed Australian items were “disproportionately high’’ with brands such as Lune croissants and Sonoma bakery popular in the UK.