Michel Roux | |
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 Michel Roux jr. | |
| Born | Michel Albert Roux (1960-05-23)23 May 1960 (age 65) |
| Education | Patissier Hellegouarche Le Gavroche Alain Chapel French Army/Elysee Palace Pierre Koffman Emanuel School |
| Years active | 1985-present |
| Spouse | Giselle Roux |
| Children | 1 |
| Culinary career | |
Previous restaurant(s)
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Television show(s)
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| Website | www |
Michel Albert Roux (born 23 May 1960)[1] also known asMichel Roux Jr., is an English-Frenchchef. He owned the 2 Michelin-starred restaurantLe Gavroche inLondon, which was opened by his fatherAlbert Roux and uncleMichel Roux, until it closed on 13 January 2024.
Roux was born atPembury maternity hospital inKent, while his fatherAlbert Roux was working for the horse race trainerMajor Peter Cazalet.[2]
After leaving school at age 16, Roux undertook apprenticeship work with MasterPatissier Henri Hellegouarch inParis.[1] From summer 1979 until January 1980, he worked as acommis de cuisine atLe Gavroche, under both his father and his uncle. He then spent two years as a commis de cuisine trainee underAlain Chapel at his hotel and restaurant inMionnay, in theRhône-Alpes region nearLyon.[1][3]
After undertaking basic training with theFrench Army, from February 1982 to March 1983 he served hismilitary service at theÉlysée Palace, working for bothPresidentsValéry Giscard d'Estaing andFrançois Mitterrand. Having finished his military service, Roux then worked for four months in Paris: two months atCharcuterie Gérard Mothu inSt-Mandé; and then two months atBoucherie Lamartine on theAvenue Victor-Hugo.[3]
Having served his apprenticeship and training mainly away from the Roux brothers' British businesses, he joined his uncle at theWaterside Inn, inBray, Berkshire in 1985, before working with his father atLe Gavroche from the April of the same year. He then worked in and managed the Roux brothers catering business for three years, before returning toLe Gavroche in 1990, the year the two brothers split their business down family lines.[3] When his father retired in 1993, Michel Jr took over the restaurant.
A food consultant to the Walbrook club since 2003, he also consults for the fine dining providers Restaurant Associates. Roux has also written several books, includingLe Gavroche Cookbook;The Marathon Chef; andMatching Food and Wine, which was named the best book on matching wine and food at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.[4]
In August 2023, Roux announced that he would be closingLe Gavroche to focus on a better work-life balance without the daily demands of a busy Michelin-starred restaurant.[5] The restaurant's last day of business was on 13 January 2024.
Roux has made various television appearances, including on his friendGordon Ramsay'sITV producedHell's Kitchen, and as an expert judge on theBBC Two programmeMasterChef: The Professionals (2008–13). In 2012 he appeared as a guest judge onMasterchef South Africa. From 2013 until 2014, Roux co-presented BBC Two'sFood and Drink alongside Kate Goodman. In 2013, he appeared as one of the mentors in the seriesThe Chef's Protege.
In March 2014, Roux announced that he was leaving theBBC due to a conflict over his brand ambassadorship for Albert BartlettRooster potatoes.[6] In 2015, Roux returned to television and presentedFirst Class Chefs for theDisney Channel andKitchen Impossible with Michel Roux Jr forChannel 4.
In April 2016 Roux stepped in as presenter on BBC'sSaturday Kitchen after the departure ofJames Martin who left after 10 years. Roux ruled himself out of becoming a full-time host.[7]
From September 2021 to December 2022, Roux presented two series ofMichel Roux's French Country Cooking; shown onFood Network.[8]
Roux was a judge onFive Star Kitchen: Britain's Next Great Chef; a culinary competition series that aired during June-July 2023 onChannel 4.[9]
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In November 2016, theGuardian reported that whilst Roux's restaurant made over £250,000 in profit in 2015, he was paying some of his chefs less than the minimum wage. A chef showed theGuardian journalist Robert Booth evidence that chefs typically worked over 65 hours per week, only earning about £5.50 per hour. Work days began at 7am ending at 11.30pm, with only one hour break between lunch and dinner times, and sometimes as little as fifteen minutes for meal times.[10]
Booth'sGuardian article noted that in response to the exposé, "Roux said ... he was 'embarrassed and sorry' after theGuardian revealed he was paying chefs as little as £5.50 per hour when they were working 68 hours per week."
In December 2016, it was reported that Roux was keeping servers' tips and service charge. In light of this, he vowed to "scrap tips and service charge", instead including them in the cost of a meal.[11]
Roux is married to Giselle, who worked in the restaurant business for many years and was the secretary at Le Gavroche.[12] The couple have a daughter, Emily, who is also a chef. The Roux family lives in London.[4]
Roux is a rugby fan and an honorary member ofHarlequins and attends most matches.[13] He also likesManchester United[14] andWigan Warriors,[15] and is a keenmarathon runner, having run theLondon Marathon thirteen times to raise funds for the children's charity Visually Impaired Children Taking Action.[1][4][16]
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