From Portland to television
J’can chef Winston Murdock takes culinary career to the next level
Published:Thursday | December 18, 2025 | 12:07 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
It was a few months before Christmas when Chef Winston Murdock was invited to be a contestant on a holiday baking show. Excited to bring some local festive cheer to television, he had no idea that the television series – Next Level Baker – was the brainchild of British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay.
“It felt amazing knowing that I’d be on a show with Chef Gordon Ramsay. I grew up watching him on television, [from] Hell’s Kitchen to MasterChef. To be in the kitchen with this legend was an incredibly surreal experience,” he explained to Food.
Initially, the pastry chef was recruited by a casting crew and told that this particular baking show, a festive spin-off of Next Level Chef, was going to be Christmas-themed. “If the series has anything to do with the festive season, count me in. I just love Christmas. It always gives me this warm feeling from when I was younger,” he said.
Premiering on FOX on December 4, the 12 contestants who made it onto the show were split into three teams: home bakers, professionals and social media influencers. From there, the teams competed at three levels: basement, middle and top kitchen. For the first episode entitled ‘Baking Spirits Bright’, the competitors curated a uniquely decadent chocolate treat bearing a rich family tradition.
With 30 seconds to grab the components for their star dish, Santa Claus made a surprise visit to the kitchen, giving contestants a shocking gift of an additional ingredient, which became a requirement for the desserts. “I made a version of chocolate tea or hot chocolate as a dessert. But I was then thrown a curveball with the new ingredient, black truffle,” he said.
Unfortunately, the sugar and spice presented to Chef Murdock’s chocolate tea mousse (or hot chocolate), made in honour of his grandmother’s favourite hot beverage, wasn’t as nice for the three wise mentors.
Carla Hall, chef and Emmy Award-winning television host; Pastry Chef Candace Nelson and Ramsay gave Murdock fair reviews. And he was subsequently ‘truffled’ out of the competition after the first round. Despite not advancing to the second round, the chef who hails from the parish of Portland shared that entering this competition was a great moment for him and his culture.
“Exploring the indigenous ingredient of cocoa on an international platform was definitely a win in my eyes,” he highlighted, adding, “I got an experience of a lifetime that I can take with me forever. And guess what? Jamaica was represented in that kitchen.”
On an even more festive note, Murdock explained how he and his nine-year-old son would watch Ramsay on television when his little one was younger. “For my son to see me on television, doing what I love, made me the most happy. He even told me that he was proud of me,” he shared.
Equally sharing in great pride and excitement is his grandmother, who is the one who got him into the culinary world in the first place.
Other family members and friends shared their joy in the opportunity and were disappointed that he was eliminated early in the competition.
As the competition bakes on, Murdock’s focus for the season will be making Christmas cakes and other festive treats. The chef also plans to continue his exploration of indigenous ingredients to deliver unique takes on Caribbean cuisine. One way he will be digging into these culinary concepts is via a masterclass.