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Alan Murchison

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Alan Murchison
Born1971
Inverness, Scotland
NationalityScots
Known forMichelin starred L'Ortolan

Alan Murchison is a former Michelin-starred Scottish chef and restaurateur, living in England.

Career

Murchison started his kitchen career as a kitchen porter, aged 14. Like most chefs, he worked in a number of restaurants, learning and promoting along the way. He had stints in Claridges, Inverlochy Castle, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, L'Ortolan and Nobu. In 1999, he became director of the cookery school of Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons.

Murchison returned to L'Ortolan in 2001 this time as head chef. In 2003, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star. Two years later he left to take up a position as executive head chef at Chewton Glen hotel in New Milton, Hampshire. He left three months later. After a few minor consultancy jobs, Murchison rejoined L'ortolan in September 2004, this time as director-executive head chef with an option to buy the restaurant.

In 2007, Murchison jumped on the opportunity to buy the former Hibiscus restaurant in Ludlow, Shropshire from Claude Bosi. He reopened the place as La Bécasse.

Later, Murchison founded "Alan Murchison Restaurants Ltd.", later restyled as the 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group. The general idea behind it was:

The 10 in 8 concept was born in response to Alan Murchison's ambition to build a financially sustainable collection of fine dining restaurants over an eight-year period. Each restaurant would be individual, representing the highest standards the industry could offer and be capable of earning at least one Michelin Star within just 3 years of opening.

The group now includes four restaurants and a cookery school.

Alan Murchison acquired Paris House in late 2009. The Woburn, Bedfordshire-based restaurant was bought out of the legacy of Peter Chandler, who died earlier in 2009.

Murchison also acted as mentor for the Nestlé Toque d'Or student catering competition 2010. In Murchison's opinion it is "to give something back, having benefited from strong mentorship early in his career".

In 2010, Murchison added the New Angel restaurant to his "10 in 8 Fine Dining Group". He had the plan to reopen is with its original name Carved Angels, but found out that was impossible due to trademark issues. At the end, the restaurant reopened as Angélique.

Murchison appeared on a BBC series Great British Menu. He lost to Tom Kitchin in 2009 in the Scotland heats. He won the Scotland heats in 2010 and 2012 but did not win the finals. In 2011, Murchison reappeared on Great British Menu once as a judge for the Scottish heats.

In November 2013, Alan Murchison Restaurants was liquidated, leaving more than fifty creditors with unpaid amount of £447,209.29 (equivalent to £647,408.1 in 2023) owed by the group. In 2014, Paris House and 10 in 8 also fell into liquidation. Later that same year, Murchison resigned as executive chef of L'Ortolan.

Book

  • Food for Thought, 2007
  • The Cycling Chef, 2019

Personal

Murchison is married to Fiona and has four children. He is a talented amateur cyclist and duathlete, becoming World and European sprint duathlon champion in his age group in 2013, 2014 and 2015 at championships held in Horst, the Netherlands; Ottawa, Canada; and Pontevedra, Spain.

References

  1. "Caterer and Hotelkeeper 100: Alan Murchison, 10 in 8". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  2. BBC – Alan Murchison
  3. Young, Josa (21 August 1999). "Pull its head off, then tear out its liver". The Times. No. 66599. p. 16-S. ISSN 0140-0460. ProQuest 318160148. Gale document no. GALE|IF0500966220
  4. "Come fry with me". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 27 July 2000.
  5. "Caterer and Hotelkeeper 100: Alan Murchison, 10 in 8". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 1 July 2011. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  6. "Alan Murchison Executive Chef & Managing Director". Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
  7. Adkins, Helen (24 April 2003). "What future for L'Ortolan?". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  8. "Stembridge is named MD at Chewton Glen". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 2 July 2003. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  9. "News Round-up". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 8 December 2003. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  10. "Third time lucky for Murchison". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. 1 October 2004. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  11. Bill, Tom (16 January 2007). "Bosi moves Hibiscus to London as Murchison takes on Ludlow". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  12. Kühn, Kerstin (26 February 2010). "Paris House, Woburn". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  13. BBC – Alan Murchison
  14. "0 in 8 Fine Dining Group – About Us". Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  15. Gerrard, Neill (15 January 2010). "Alan Murchison confirms acquisition of Paris House". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  16. Mullen, Rosalind (22 April 2010). "Chef mentors – guiding lights". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  17. Kühn, Kerstin (24 September 2010). "Alan Murchison buys former John Burton Race restaurant the New Angel". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  18. Kühn, Kerstin (8 November 2010). "Alan Murchison seeks new name for Dartmouth's New Angel". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  19. Stamford, Janie (22 December 2010). "Dartmouth's New Angel to be renamed Angélique". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  20. Kühn, Kerstin (1 July 2010). "Meet the four finalists in the Great British Menu 2010". Caterer and Hotelkeeper. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  21. L'Ortolan chef Alan Murchison to be TV judge
  22. Afiya, Amanda; Gerrard, Neil (26 November 2013). "Alan Murchison Restaurants Ltd in liquidation". The Caterer. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  23. Gerrard, Neil (8 July 2014). "Ten In Eight served with winding up order". The Caterer. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  24. Gerrard, Neil (4 September 2014). "Alan Murchison resigns from L'Ortolan". The Caterer. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
  25. BBC – Alan Murchison
  26. "Alan Murchison Executive Chef & Managing Director". Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.

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