British Travel Journal | Winter 2019

I N T E R V I E W W I T H
PAUL
O’NEILL
Cliveden House
A country estate that has stood the test of time like no other.
Chantal Borciani uncovers the secrets of Cliveden House
and meets new executive head chef, Paul O’Neill
SET IN 376 ACRES OF National Trust
woodland, Cliveden House has one
of the most colourful legacies of any
British country house. The magnificent
estate sets the stage for over 350 years of
aristocratic dalliance, regal parties, political
scandal and iconic moments in British history.
Cliveden was built in 1666 by the 2nd
Duke of Buckingham, as a gift to his mistress,
and since then has been home to three
countesses, a Prince of Wales, two dukes, and
the Viscounts Astor. Its roll-call of guests is
just as illustrious; Queen Victoria is noted as
a frequent guest during her reign, writer and
playwright George Bernard Shaw visited, as
did Winston Churchill, Henry Ford, Teddy
Roosevelt, Mahatma Gandhi, and the Beatles
– who filmed part of their movie Help! at
Cliveden.
Today, the elegant hotel is still favoured
among the elite – the Duchess of Sussex
famously spent the night before her wedding at
the five-star luxury hotel – as did many of the
star-studded guests of the Royal Wedding.
At the turn of the year, Paul O’Neill took on
the role of executive chef at Cliveden – a big
task considering the calibre of guests rolling
up the immaculate drive, but the revered chef
is no stranger to the pinnacles of power. Paul
started his career at Claridges, worked at
Ashdown Park, won the Roux scholarship in
2003, and worked under Andre Garrett at
Cliveden before taking over the helm.
He says it’s impossible not to be inspired by
the setting where he works. “When guests walk
up that driveway it's an experience in itself and
the food should reflect that sense of occasion.
This place has such an amazing history.”
The building itself most certainly reflects
some fine British pedigree. The Grade 1 listed
Italianate mansion that stands today was built
in 1851 by the architect Charles Barry following
two catastrophic fires that destroyed the
original mansion and its replacement in 1795
and 1849. Charles Barry designed The Palace
of Westminster and the Houses of Parliament
and Cliveden is still considered to be one of his
architectural masterpieces.
Amid such grandeur, it would be easy to
rest on your laurels but Paul’s attention to
detail and culinary prowess has long-since
been celebrated by the industry.
“I like to strip things back to great
ingredients, we work seasonally and let the
produce sing.”
The hotel welcomes guests for afternoon
30 BritishTravelJournal.com