With more than 20 years' experience Paul Boorman has won Colchester Chef of the Year several years running, and was head chef at the Juniper Restaurant at Clarice House in Colchester when it was named Essex Restaurant of the Year 2009. He was executive head chef at the Lifehouse spa at Thorpe-le-Soken in 2010, and joined MUSA, the new contemporary restaurant at firstsite in Colchester in 2011. At Wivenhoe House, home of the Edge Hotel School, he will be responsible for the intimate fine dining Signatures restaurant in the 18th century historic house and the brasserie in the new garden wing. The hotel has undergone a £10 million refurbishment so residents and restaurant customers will experience a fusion of traditional and contemporary detail. Stephen Mannock, general manager of Wivenhoe House, said: "Paul's passion for locally sourced seasonal food will come through strongly on our menus, making Wivenhoe House a leading food destination for the area. His expertise will also help to inspire the student practitioners of the Edge Hotel School to become the future leaders of the food and hotel industry." Boorman said: "The combination of old and new at Wivenhoe House will be reflected in my menus, where traditional recipes with a contemporary twist will combine with new dishes to encourage both customers and our culinary management students to think differently about food."