Alain Roux is Chef Patron, The Waterside Inn, Bray, and Roux at Skindles, Taplow.

Alain decided to follow in his father Michel’s and uncle Albert’s footsteps to become a chef aged 14, after growing up learning about food from them and from his mother and grandmother.

Alain’s career began at the age of 16 when he embarked on a two-year pastry apprenticeship with Chef Denis Ruffel at the Pâtisserie Millet in Paris.  There followed many years working in restaurants before joining forces with his father at The Waterside Inn.  His varied career led Alain to work in some of the best restaurants in France, all of them family run businesses, providing the best insight and foundation he could imagine for his future role as Chef Patron of his own family businesses.

Apart from his father, who had perhaps the biggest influence as mentor, Alain holds Chef Ruffel, to whom he was apprenticed, in special esteem, citing him as one of the great influences in his career and one of the best chefs he ever met.  Alain was privileged to enjoy an extraordinary apprenticeship in pastry under the care and tutorship of Chef Ruffel. Alain remembers him as outstanding in every way, not only in terms of his skills as a pastry chef and impassioned teacher, but also as a multi-talented, multitasking chef and all-round great professional. Chef Ruffel was generous with his time loved to share his knowledge and expertise. He led by example in the kitchen, in the way he looked after and respected his brigade.

Having completed his apprenticeship, the next six years of Alain’s career were spent working as a cook in some of France’s most esteemed restaurants.  Firstly, at the three-star Michelin Restaurant Pic in Valence with Chef Alain & Jacques Pic, then with Chef Jean Yves Bernard at one Michelin starred Le Domaine D’Orvault in Nantes.  This was followed by a year’s national service spent working as a cook for French President M. François Mitterrand, at the Élysée Palace in Paris, alongside Chef Joel Normand.

Alain then joined the brigade at two Michelin starred La Bonne Étape in Château Arnoux-Saint-Auban, led by father-son duo, Chefs Jany and Pierre Gleize, before taking up a position with Chef Christian Germain’s one star Michelin restaurant at Château de Montreuil in Montreuil-sur-Mer.  Alain’s final appointment, before starting his career at The Waterside Inn, was at La Côte St. Jacques in Joigny with Chef Jean-Michel & Michel Lorain.

In 1992, at the age of 24, Alain returned to Great Britain to join his father, Michel Roux OBE,  in the kitchen at The Waterside Inn, starting first as a demi-chef de partie cook, progressing to sous chef three years later.  In 2001, he became joint Chef Patron of The Waterside Inn with his father, taking over in his own right in 2002.

In 2000, Alain was invited to become a Master Pâtissier in the International Association Relais Desserts putting him in league with the best pastry chefs in the world.  In 2008, Alain became an Honorary Fellow of the Faculty of Professional Studies at Thames Valley University.  In November 2018, Alain alongside his father Michel, opened a new French-style Brasserie, their first joint venture, Roux at Skindles, nearby The Waterside Inn.  2020 saw Alain become a member of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, the leading professional association in UK.

In 1999, Alain joined the judging panel of the Roux Scholarship and, since 2015, he has been joint chairman, alongside his cousin, Michel Roux Jr.