Albert Roux, the French chef and restaurant owner who greatly influenced British eating habits, is with his late brother Michel, aged 85.
Roux died Monday after a temporary illness his family said in a statement Wednesday. The family has not revealed the place or cause of death.
In 1982, the brothers’ restaurant in London, Le Gavroche, became the first British restaurant to receive three Michelin stars, a testament to its pivotal role in turning the culinary scene of the capital from a single invention to one of the world’s most exciting gastronomic brews in pots.
Since the launch of Le Gavroche, there has been a loyal clientele who has incorporated many of the images of the 60s swing in the restaurant. The brothers took turns in the kitchen and dining room, wanting to “gain a global reputation for the service and quality of their food.”
Over the years, celebrity chefs such as Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White, and Marcus Wareing trained at the restaurant serving French food in Mayfair’s high-rise neighborhood.
Although he lost one star in 1993, Le Gavroche, now run by Alberts’ son Michel Jr., is still considered one of London’s most popular places to eat, and it is ‘reopens after the long-awaited coronavirus pandemic.
“My dad was a mentor to so many people in the hospitality industry and a real inspiration to new chefs, myself included,” said Michel Roux Jr.
Albert Roux was born in 1935 in the town of Semur-en-Brionnais in the central French district of Burgundy. After World War II, the family moved to Paris to run a new charcuterie and it was in the French capital where the two brothers were developing their interest in cooking.
At 14, Albert became an apprentice pastry chef, and four years later moved to England where he soon found work at the French embassy. After his military service in Algeria, Albert Roux became assistant chef at the British embassy in Paris.
When he returned with his brother, to Britain in 1967, they brought their classical skills, especially in pastry-making, to the look of an old-fashioned restaurant and setting. The legendary La Gavroche was created appealing to those who wanted to expand the culinary horizon.
In addition to Le Gavroche, the brothers opened a series of other successful restaurants. In 1972, they went down to the Waterside pub, a former black pub in Brayon-Thames west London that they turned into their iconic restaurant outside the capital.
In 1985, the Waterside Hotel received its third Michelin star. It is the only restaurant in the world, outside of France, that has won three stars since.
Albert Roux OBE, along with his late brother Michel, was the father of the UK restaurant business and his legacy will live on through the many chefs who have gone through his kitchen. All of us at the Michelin Guide send our sincere condolences to the Roux family
– MICHELIN Management (@MichelinGuideUK) January 6, 2021
The brothers parted ways with their business interests in 1986, with Albert choosing Le Gavroche while Michel took control of the Waterside Inn.
In 2002, Queen Elizabeth was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to the field.
The Michelin Guide tweeted that Albert Roux was accompanied by his brother, who died last year at the age of 78, “the father of the UK restaurant business and his legacy will live on through the many chefs who have passed through his kitchen. ”
The Roux Scholarship, a cookery competition for new chefs set up by the brothers and now run by their sons Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr, said Albert Roux’s legacy will live on in the thousands of chefs he inspired and train it. ”
PETA animal rights group praised Albert Roux for public opposition to foie gras.
“He famously said that, like cigarettes, he should warn of the hidden suffering of the ducks and geese that were misused for their production,” the group said on Twitter. “Well don’t forget it.”