About Us.
A passion for craftsmanship, incredible ingredients and impeccable service
A note from our Executive Chef & Owner
Welcome to Paris House, an elegant and truly unique restaurant set in the stunning 22-acre deer park of the Woburn Estate in Bedfordshire.
It is the perfect setting to enjoy exciting food, fabulous wines and Great British Hospitality. I was brought into Paris House as Head Chef in 2010 by the 10 in 8 group by my mentor and friend Alan Murchison.
I gained a Michelin Star within 10 months, aged 29. Three months after that came a coveted Acorn Award, which identifies the brightest talents in the hospitality industry (previous recipients include Marco Pierre White, Marcus Waring and Michael Caines). The rapid succession of these two accolades was pretty humbling!
My commitment to Paris House was absolute – who wouldn’t fall in love with a place like this?! In 2014 my wife Claire and I took ownership of the business.
In her career Claire has worked Front of House for some of the country’s finest restaurants and industry figures, including Tom Kerridge’s two Michelin Starred Hand and Flowers and Heston Blumenthal’s Hind’s Head in Bray.
Claire and I live in nearby Ampthill and Paris House has become an extension of our own young family. Our kids regularly pop in to the kitchen to help me out (!) on the pass – or more likely test out the latest dishes.
Each seasonal menu is expertly crafted to produce a high impact and sensational dining adventure. The seasonality and quality of ingredients we use are at the heart of everything we create at Paris House. My love of refined Japanese cooking techniques is pivotal in getting the best out of each ingredient and achieving maximum flavour in every dish. I am hugely passionate about craftsmanship and spend a whole day with the team each week working solely on development (of chefs and dishes!).
Our focus on the customer experience at Paris House is absolute – we hope you enjoy your visit.
Phil & Claire Fanning
Each year we welcome new members into the team and each year we learn something new.
A new technique, ingredient or process that we blend into the product, enriching the experience for both the customer and employee.
Showcase for Art.
One of the key features of the newly refurbished restaurant is an art wall that showcases a seasonal edit of food-related art which is for sale.
This season Paris House is working with bespoke furniture designer Jane Crisp, the internationally acclaimed turner and sculptor Joey Richardson, Annette Townsend, Interdisciplinary Natural History Artist, Clive Maddison, a sculptor who specialises in working with wire strands and Claire Malet a silversmith and metal artist. We also have stunning pieces from Penkridge Ceramics.
A venue steeped in History.
Paris House was originally built in 1878 as part of The Paris International Exhibition called ‘The Streets of Nations’ on the Rue des Nations in Paris. The 9th Duke of Bedford fell in love with the building, had it dismantled, shipped piece by piece and rebuilt in the stunning grounds of Woburn Abbey.
On arrival at Woburn, its fascinating history continued, playing its part as a tonsil hospital, staff accommodation and a bolt hole for Winston Churchill when he was at Bletchley before becoming a restaurant in 1983.