Last updated 06:36, Sunday, 16 November 2008

AN inspirational chef lecturer is a finalist in a national competition for the unsung heroes of further education.

ON THE MENU: Furness College chef lecturer John Murray, right and above, with students in a theory lesson, is one of only 10 people in the country to be shortlisted for a STAR award in innovation

AN inspirational chef lecturer is a finalist in a national competition for the unsung heroes of further education.

Furness College’s John Murray has been short-listed for a STAR Award.

Chef John, as he is known to hundreds of students across South Cumbria, is a nominee in the innovation category of the Quality Improvement Agency competition.

The much-admired chef is an FE catering lecturer and the Furness peripatetic (peri) chef.

John is hugely popular with students, staff and parents. He works in schools, but also brings the children and their parents to the college.

His peri-chef role promotes the FE sector to children and their families.

Students have great fun in John’s classes, but they know there is no misbehaving and as a result they show impeccable discipline.

The youngsters dress in chef whites and they are taught to treat the kitchens as a professional working environment, following all the health and safety rules.

Furness College catering students are also enthused by John’s passion in practical and theory sessions.

John gets top industry placements for his students, including work in London restaurants.

Some former students have gone on to work in Michelin Star restaurants and have become chefs around the country, including South Cumbria.

John, who prefers to stay out of the spotlight, said: “It’s a great honour for the college. Just to get shortlisted feels like we have won already.

“I love working with young people. I work with five to 19-year-olds in the Furness area.

“I promote FE in secondary and primary schools and encourage people to work in catering.

“I invite them to Furness College. The facilities are absolutely fantastic at the college.”

John says cooking is a beautiful social skill.

He said: “My job is so diverse. I can be at Barrow Island Primary and they want to make a DVD cookbook, or I can be working with older pupils on a project at Newbridge House.

“Cooking is such a great medium. It’s instant gratification.”

He also says it is a great tool for subliminal learning.

He will often ask children to research a country which produces a certain food or ask them to cost portion sizes.

John is dyslexic, something that was not recognised when he was a child. He says it does help lower the barriers for some students.

He said: “It’s nice to show people they don’t need to hide behind it.

“I don’t want people saying ‘I can’t do it because I can’t spell it’.

“It should not hold you back.”

John is one of 10 people to be shortlisted for innovation, and he is the only one from the north in the category.

He was nominated by Jane Ridyard, director of 14-19 at Furness College.

She said: “John is so passionate about what he does. He instills that passion into young people.

“He particularly reaches the hard to reach, but he works with all pupils including the gifted and talented.

“He shows young people they have the skills and they can achieve.

“He has inspired a lot of people to come to college and study, not just catering, but other subjects.

“John encourages students to work as a team, and have respect and discipline. He is amazing to be around. He runs good practice sessions for staff after college.”

Mrs Ridyard said John is very successful at getting his catering students part-time work.

He takes students along to restaurant kitchens and works alongside them. Many end up being offered jobs.

One of John’s former Furness College students, Andrew Beaton, is now the head chef at Miller Howe Hotel, at Windermere.

Andrew famously worked under Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, which has two Michelin stars.

It was John who helped Andrew get his break by applying for a job on Andrew’s behalf at Le Petit Blanc, Raymond Blanc’s Oxford brasserie.

Andrew then worked his way into Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons and back to Cumbria where he has been a sous chef and now a head chef.

Andrew said: “If it wasn’t for John I would not be where I am now.”

The chef said John really goes out of his way for his students.

Andrew said: “He saw we were interested and he took us under his wing. He pushed for me to get a place in Oxford.

“I went to Oxford and it’s probably one of the best things I have ever done.

“John’s quite a flamboyant guy, he’s very passionate about what he does.”

Andrew now takes on other former students of John’s.

John attended a STAR regional celebration in Liverpool in October.

He goes to the national ceremony in London on November 26.