Alan Murchison

Alan Murchison
Born	1971 Scotland
Occupation(s)	Chef, restaurateur, author
Years active	1985–present
Known for	Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur, plant-based diet advocate
Notable work	Food for Thought (2007), The Cycling Chef series (2019, 2021, 2025)

Alan Murchison (born 1971) is a Scottish chef and restaurateur formerly recognized with Michelin stars, currently operating out of England.

Career

Starting his culinary journey at the age of 14 as a kitchen porter, Murchison advanced through positions at prestigious establishments including Claridges, Inverlochy Castle, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons, L'Ortolan, and Nobu. By 1999, he had taken on the role of director at Le Manoir's cookery school.

In 2001, he rejoined L'Ortolan as head chef and succeeded in securing a Michelin star by 2003. After a brief tenure as executive head chef at Chewton Glen hotel, he returned to L'Ortolan in 2004, assuming the position of director-executive head chef with an option to purchase the restaurant.

Murchison purchased the former Hibiscus venue in Ludlow from Claude Bosi in 2007, reopening it under the name La Bécasse. He subsequently established Alan Murchison Restaurants Ltd., later renamed the 10 in 8 Fine Dining Group, with the objective of creating a financially viable collection of fine dining establishments aiming to achieve Michelin recognition within three years. The group comprised four restaurants alongside a cookery school.

Towards the end of 2009, he acquired Paris House in Woburn following the passing of its founder Peter Chandler. In 2010, he expanded his portfolio by adding the New Angel restaurant, which was relaunched as Angélique due to trademark restrictions on its original name.

Murchison acted as a mentor for the 2010 Nestlé Toque d'Or student catering competition and participated multiple times in BBC’s Great British Menu between 2009 and 2012, reaching the finals on several occasions without securing a win.

In November 2013, Alan Murchison Restaurants Ltd entered liquidation with debts exceeding £447,000 owed to upwards of fifty creditors. Subsequently, Paris House and the 10 in 8 group also underwent liquidation processes in 2014. Later that year, Murchison stepped down from his executive chef role at L'Ortolan.

Plant-based diet

In 2019, Murchison expressed skepticism about plant-based diets for athletes, stating it was not feasible to be a plant-based competitor "at any level". However, by 2025 he had adjusted this viewpoint, acknowledging that "there was quite a lot of misinformation out there". In 2024, he implemented a regimen featuring half plant-based meals for riders at Specialized Factory Racing, attributing this change to "our most successful year in the history of the sport". In 2025, he published The Cycling Chef: Plant-Powered Performance: Vegan Recipes to Fuel Your Ride. Although not strictly vegan, he advocates for plant-centric dishes emphasizing ingredients such as beans, chickpeas, and lentils.

Personal life

Murchison is married to Fiona and together they have four children. He is also an accomplished amateur cyclist and duathlete, having secured World and European sprint duathlon titles in his age category during events held in the Netherlands, Canada, and Spain across 2013, 2014, and 2015.

Selected publications

• Food for Thought, 2007
• The Cycling Chef: Recipes for Performance and Pleasure, 2019
• The Cycling Chef: Recipes for Getting Lean and Fuelling the Machine, 2021
• The Cycling Chef: Plant-Powered Performance: Vegan Recipes to Fuel Your Ride, 2025