Albert Roux death: French chef and restaurateur dies aged 85

Tributes paid to ‘titan of the food scene’ whose Le Gavroche restaurant earned three Michelin stars

Roux in 2013 (Rex Features)

Chef and restaurateur Albert Roux has died at the age of 85.

Roux was credited with transforming the London restaurant scene in the 1960s, after launching the legendary Le Gavroche in 1967, alongside his brother Michel Roux.

It made history by becoming the first in Britain to be awarded a Michelin star, before going on to earn two more.

Le Gavroche became internationally recognised for its rich French cuisine and immaculate presentation. In 1981, it moved from its Sloane Square base to Mayfair, where it would become an establishment in which world-famous chefs would earn their culinary stripes. Notable alumni include Gordon Ramsay, Marco Pierre White and Pierre Koffman, who all began their careers in the kitchen.

The brothers also launched The Waterside Inn, Bray, together in 1972, which became the first restaurant outside France to retain three Michelin stars for a quarter of a century.

Albert Roux’s death comes less than a year after Michel passed away in March 2020 at the age of 78 following a battle with a long-term lung condition.

In a statement, the family said Albert Roux had been "unwell for a while" and asked for privacy.

In 1984, the brothers created The Roux Scholarship, an annual competition that helped launch the careers of British chefs internationally, with winners landing spots at Michelin-starred restaurants across the globe.

Roux’s son, Michel Roux Jr, who joined Le Gavroche in 1988 and now runs it, said of his father: “He was a mentor for so many people in the hospitality industry, and a real inspiration to budding chefs, including me.”

Gordon Ramsay praised Roux as a “legend” who had “installed gastronomy in Britain.” 

"Thank you Albert for everything you gave me," he wrote, alongside a photograph of himself and the late chef.

Chef and broadcaster James Martin described Roux as a “true titan of the food scene in this country,” who “inspired and trained some of the biggest and best names in the business. RIP and today I will open a bottle of the finest red and raise a glass… in fact a bottle to you”.

The Michelin Guide said Roux’s legacy “will live on through the many chefs who passed through his kitchen”.

The Roux Scholarship, which is now run by Alain Roux and Michel Roux Jr, shared a statement, saying: “We are deeply saddened to have lost our founder and patron Albert Roux. His legacy will live on in the thousands of chefs he inspired and trained.”

Piers Morgan said that Roux and his brother were “both wonderful characters, touched by genius, who brought pleasure to many plates.”