Colchester Institute chefs compete for Murray Chapman Cup

Colchester Institute, in Sheepen Road, hosted the Murray Chapman Cup 2025 on April 4 for all of the college’s level three professional chef students.

The competition was named after industry expert Murray Chapman, who died in October 2024 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease earlier in the year.

He was known for mentoring and developing new talent, and founded the non-profit initiative ‘A Passion to Inspire’ in 2009.

In the competition, which took place at Balkerne Restaurant, students had to create a sustainable, seasonal and locally sourced three-course menu with each dish featuring an ingredient that would normally be discarded.

College - Colchester Institute (Image: Colchester Institute) Colchester Institute students Aster, Harrison, Justin and Nichi were chosen as the finalists to cook and present their meals to industry judges.

These included Andy Hirst, executive chef at Milsoms Group, Bethany Faint, pastry chef at Wivenhoe House Hotel School, and Alan Paton, executive head chef at the Leys School.

Justin was named as the winner for his menu.

His starter was salmon tartare, radish fan, quail yolk and carrot peel tuille, followed by the main course of red wine braised ox tail, roasted baby carrots and pomme puree.

The dessert was blood orange mousse, honey and rosemary ice cream langue de chat.

Prep work - Nichi in the kitchen (Image: Colchester Institute) Student - Harrison in the kitchen (Image: Colchester Institute) Student - Aster with his dessert (Image: Colchester Institute) Justin received a trophy, a Mark Poynton signed cookbook, a Russums knife set, and a day at ICE restaurant in Bury St Edmunds.

His three-course meal will be showcased in the college restaurant on June 5.

Justin and runner-up Aster also won an all-expenses paid trip to Galvin La Chapelle in London for a signed cookbook and a day’s work experience.

Stephen Frei, lecturer in hospitality and food studies at Colchester Institute, said: “It’s great to see the journey that these students have been on over the last year or two.

“To enter a competition, put themselves out of their comfort zone and push themselves to the extent they did today makes it all worthwhile.

Winner - judges Alan Paton, Bethany Faint, student Justin, judge Andy Hirst, and teacher Stephen Frei (Image: Colchester Institute) Winning - Justin's dessert (Image: Colchester Institute) First place - prizes (Image: Colchester Institute) “The future is bright with these young people joining the industry - their story is only just beginning.”

Andy Hirst, executive chef at Milsoms said: “I believe it is really important to help in our beloved industry in nurturing future talent.

"Our aim is to create opportunities for the next generation of chefs and front of house staff to have a seamless entry from college into the world of hospitality.

"And it’s an honour to be asked to judge the very first Murray Chapman Cup competition.”