Yes Chef!

Introducing some of the finest Chefs in the Country:

Alan Murchison - Executive Chef

Alan has always been in the restaurant business taking up his first post in the kitchen as a porter at the age of 14. During the 1990s, Alan worked in a number of Michelin starred kitchens, the first being Inverlochy Castle with Graham Newbould, followed by stints at Claridges, Nobu, L’ortolan and Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons. Within two years of arriving at Le Manoir, Alan was promoted to Senior Sous Chef before taking up his post as the Director Ecole de Cuisine.

Alan first came to the L’ortolan Restaurant in Berkshire in December 1996 to work with John Burton Race and was soon promoted to Junior Sous Chef before leaving to take up his challenges at Le Manoir with Raymond Blanc. It was in September 2001 that Alan returned to the L’ortolan, this time as Executive Chef/Managing Director to re-establish its reputation as a destination dining experience par excellence, culminating in the revered one star award from the Michelin Red Guide early in 2003. Soon, Alan was looking for a new challenge and in early 2007, this presented itself when Chef Claude Bosi closed the renowned Hibiscus restaurant in Ludlow to move to London. Alan took this opportunity to establish himself in “”the foodie Capital of Great Britain” and re-opened the restaurant as La Bécasse in July 2007. Just six months after opening, La Bécasse was awarded 3 AA Rosettes and in January 2009 was awarded a prestigious Michelin Star, making Alan the only Chef to operate multiple Michelin Starred restaurants outside of London. In 2009 both L’ortolan and La Bécasse were ranked in the National Restaurant Awards top 100 Restaurants in the UK. Alan and the team hope to emulate the success story of La Becasse at Paris House. Says Alan, “Paris House is totally unique. It’s a truly stunning ‘destination venue’ and I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to follow in Peter’s footsteps and bring the magic of the property alive. It’s a very different style of establishment to our other restaurants and that is part of our challenge. We’ve got some terrific concepts underway across the proposed menu development and I’m very much looking forward to sharing these with our guests”.

Alan released his first book “Food For Thought in December 2008 to much critical acclaim. “Among the hundreds of cookery books that have known in my time, there is absolutely no doubt that Alan Murchison's 'Food For Thought' is the most beautiful I have ever seen. A veritable work of art, it is the epitome of artistic imagination and exquisite taste, truly a feast for your eyes, even surpassing the evident usefulness for the ambitious cook. Its penetrating and highly selective attention to detail is overwhelming in every way. It is amazing that it has been produced (and even published!) by Alan Murchison personally. --Egon Ronay - 16th January 2008”

Since 2008, Alan has been a featured chef on a number of TV programmes including: The Great British Menu (BBC), Hairy Bikers (BBC) and Market Kitchen (UKTV) and will be back on our screens in Spring 2010. 

Will Holland - Head Chef La Becasse

Despite having only just celebrated his 30th birthday at the end of 2009, Head Chef Will has already achieved numerous accolades and awards including a coveted Michelin Star and a prestigeous Acorn Award. To those who know him this is not surprising as Will's cooking has always demonstrated that touch of genius since his early training days in Bristol, from where he hails.

Will has always worked in Michelin Starred establishments, beginning his career at Homewood Park Hotel, Bath, where he was appointed by renowned Chef Gary Jones, now Raymond Blanc's Executive Chef at Le Manoir aux Quat Saisons. Gary and Andy Hamer inspired Will to develop his talent and focus on excellence. After three years at Homewood Park, Will spent over three years at Gravetye Manor Hotel, West Sussex, under Chef de Cuisine, Mark Raffan before joining Alan Murchison at L'ortolan in 2004 where Will soon took on the challenge of Head Chef. In early 2007, Alan Murchison bought Hibiscus restaurant in the foodie Capital of Great Britain, Ludlow and re-opened the restaurant as La Bécasse in July 2007. This presented Will with the opportunity to really firmly establish himself behind the stoves and stamp his mark. Just six months after opening, La Bécasse was awarded 3 AA Rosettes. The awards continued in 2008 and 2009 with "Best Fine Dining Restaurant" (Metro) as well as inclusions in: The Good Food Guide with 6 out of 10 & being listed in their top 50 UK restaurants list; the respected Hardens UK Restaurant Guide and entering the top 100 restaurants in the UK at The National Restaurant Awards. January 2009 saw Will achieve his much desired ambition of being award a prestigeous Michelin Star.

In July 2009 Will was invited to be a featured chef on the BBC's Saturday Kitchen. Will received rave reviews from the panel for his Parmesan crusted Halibut with sag aloo and lime emulsion and also entered the legendary "omelette challenge" against Masterchef host and celebrated Chef John Torode. Will's next TV challenge came in form of a cook off against Simon King & David Myers aka the Hairy Bikers in Autumn 2009 in which each party had to create a dish using locally sourced produce to be judged by a panel of independent diners. Will will be back on the BBC again in Spring 2010. Watch this space.......!

In November 2009 some of Will's favourite recipes were published with his inclusion in the book "Yes Chef! 20 Great British Chefs, 100 Great British Recipes" assembled by James Winter. Hailed as a "landmark cookery book for our times" Yes Chef! is a "celebration in words, pictures and recipes of the current brilliance of British cooking and British chefs featuring 100 recipes from 20 of the the best British chefs at work today." Featured chefs amongst the stellar group include Michael Caines, Mark Hix, Marcus Wareing, Jason Atherton, Atul Kochhar, Theo Randall, Bruce Poole, Matt Tebbutt, Nathan Outlaw and La Bécasse's very own Will Holland.

Phil Fanning - Head Chef Paris House

Details coming soon.

Elliott Lidstone - Head Chef L'ortolan

Details coming soon.