Ben Murphy, Epicure, Pairs

The Staff Canteen

Ben Murphy discusses his role as Chef patron at Epicure, Pairs and his own inspirations with regards to pursuing a career as a Chef.

Name: Ben Murphy

Age: 23 

Place of work: Currently working at 3 Michelin Star restaurant Epicure in Paris under Chef patron Eric Frechon.

Follow Ben on Twitter: @benChef123

Chef Skills

Ben Murphy takes us through his personal experiences whilst being in the Culinary Industry. These key skills that young Chefs and industry professionals learn as part of their basic training.

Background:

At 16 left school, Ben went to Westminster Kingsway Catering College where he completed a 3 year Diploma Culinary Arts Course. He was lucky enough to get a job when he finished college working under legendary Chef Pierre Koffmann at The Berkley Hotel, Knightsbridge.

“This was a valuable and exciting experience for me as I stayed 3 years working under Chef Koffmann, from starting as a Commis Chef, peeling carrots every day to cooking the meat and fish and leaving as Sous Chef. 

“I left with Pierre Koffmann's guidance, he guided me and helped me to get a job at 3 Michelin Star restaurant Michel Guérard in the South of France, where I completed a 10 month contract. I've always believed since learning the French cuisine/ techniques at college and enhancing them at Pierre Koffmann’s restaurant, the only other way was to go to France and get a full acknowledgment of the French gastronomy.”

Where do you work now?

Michel Guérard’s restaurant I would class as being very classical but produced and cooked to perfection. The hardest thing for me was getting to grips with learning French, I studied Spanish at school! I guess I can say I self-trained myself to learn French because I had no choice but to learn the language to move up or progress.

 “Once my contract was up I wanted to move to Paris, a place where there’s  more life, more things to see, but also to step away from the classical and take the approach of pure modern techniques. 

 “With the help of Michel Guérard but also Head Chef Olivier Brulard, they managed to get me into a 3 Michelin star restaurant Epicure based in Le Bristol Hotel in Paris under Chef Eric Frechon. The service is very intense, we all are there to learn and work at the best possible level.

“I've currently been at Epicure for 9 months now but would like to complete a year or two, where I go next I’m not sure.

“Cooking for me is more of a hobby the bonus is I get paid for it.”

Find a Chef Job

Whether you're an aspiring Chef soon to be leaving education, or you are an established Chef looking for a new culinary challenge, we have a variety of Chef roles to suit you;
- Head Chef Jobs
- Executive Chef Jobs
- Sous Chef Jobs
- Commis Chef Jobs
- Chef de Parties Jobs
- Pastry Chef Jobs

In these challenging times…

The Staff Canteen team are taking a different approach to keeping our website independent and delivering content free from commercial influence. Our Editorial team have a critical role to play in informing and supporting our audience in a balanced way. We would never put up a paywall and restrict access – The Staff Canteen is open to all and we want to keep bringing you the content you want; more from younger chefs, more on mental health, more tips and industry knowledge, more recipes and more videos. We need your support right now, more than ever, to keep The Staff Canteen active. Without your financial contributions this would not be possible.

Over the last 12 years, The Staff Canteen has built what has become the go-to platform for chefs and hospitality professionals. As members and visitors, your daily support has made The Staff Canteen what it is today. Our features and videos from the world’s biggest name chefs are something we are proud of. We have over 500,000 followers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social channels, each connecting with chefs across the world. Our editorial and social media team are creating and delivering engaging content every day, to support you and the whole sector - we want to do more for you.

A single coffee is more than £2, a beer is £4.50 and a large glass of wine can be £6 or more.

Support The Staff Canteen from as little as £1 today. Thank you.

The Staff Canteen

The Staff Canteen

Editor 30th June 2016

Ben Murphy, Epicure, Pairs