Celebrating the legacy of Michel and Albert Roux

Friends, family, Roux Scholars and the stars of the British culinary industry gathered at The Dorchester in London on Monday 21st October to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Roux Scholarship and the lives of its founders Michel and Albert Roux. The event was a once-in-a-lifetime occasion that paid tribute to the incredible contribution made by The Roux Brothers to the British hospitality industry since their arrival in the UK in the 1960s.

The evening began with a special photograph at the front of the hotel with Roux Scholars and judges, all wearing brand new chefs jackets embroidered with The Roux Scholarship’s 40th anniversary logo, kindly provided by Bragard UK. We were lucky to have 28 Scholars come for the event, the most we have ever had together for one occasion.

The main celebration took place in the exquiste ballroom of The Dorchester Hotel, guests were treated to delicious canapés created by Executive Chef Martyn Nail and his brigade, with free-flowing champagne from Champagne Laurent-Perrier. Soon the presentation started with speeches from Alain Roux, Michel Roux Jr, Emily Roux and Maria Roux who each spoke about what their fathers, grandfather and late husband meant to them. A moving film about their legacy followed, which wove together touching and entertaining archive footage with further interviews with such friends as Angela Hartnett OBE, Rowley Leigh, Richard Corrigan, Edward Asprey, Edward Griffiths CVO FIH, Silvano Giraldin, Peter Allen and David Glaser. On stage, speeches from John Williams, Matthew Fort and Mark Birchall paid tribute to their legacy as chefs, restaurateurs and as mentors for The Roux Scholarship. Then guests enjoyed a short film about the importance of the competition and its influence throughout the British hospitality industry followed, including further interviews with Roux Scholars and judges such as James Martin and Rick Stein.

Guests included former Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip, in whose former constituency The Waterside Inn is set; as well as the country’s leading chefs, including Anton Mosimann, Raymond Blanc, Tom Kerridge, Claude Bosi, Simon Rogan and Stephen McLaughlin, as well as restaurant critics Jay Rayner and Richard Vines, and many other friends from the hospitality industry.