Interview with Michel Roux

Talented chef and TV celebrity Michel Roux carries an extraordinary family legacy of French-British haute cuisine. From the plush surroundings of two-Michelin-starred Le Gavroche in London’s Mayfair, he speaks exclusively to Dream Escape about his holiday tips, favourite autumnal dishes, and how he celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Descending the two flights of carpeted stairs to the basement of dimly lit Le Gavroche is like tiptoeing into London’s gastronomic history. A reverential hush ensues, punctuated only by clinks of silverware being polished for the evening service by intently focused staff. The refreshment offering comes with multiple choices: still or sparkling, lemon and ice? A slightly trembling hand closes the glass door of the private ‘Chef ’s Library’ room at Monsieur Roux’s request, above which a tiny screen gives us a view into the kitchen, where half a dozen chefs are prepping for the 5pm evening service. Despite a hectic schedule that recently included filming in the South of France and working at Chez Roux Blue Riband for the Derby at Epsom Downs across the Platinum Jubilee weekend, Michel Roux only becomes more animated during our chat, especially as talk turns to family and relaxation.

Michel, congratulations on retaining your two Michelin stars at Le Gavroche in 2022. How do you feel about the Michelin stars after all these years?

I still believe that they are the best judge that’s out there out of all the things that we get judged by. Actually, I’ll rephrase that: they are the best judges in their field. The best judges for a restaurant are our diners!

Good answer! A lot of Dream Escape’s readers are very well travelled, as well as discerning diners. For first-time visitors to Le Gavroche, what should they expect from the private Chef’s Library, in particular?

You have a direct view into the kitchen [gesturing to the TV screen] – we’ve got several views across, so we can change it. This is my office during the day. We call it the Chef’s Library because I’ve got a very small collection of my huge books and some memorabilia. I’ve got some old menus [on the walls] dating back to the late 1800s…and then of course Dad and Uncle here [nearby is a photo of his father Albert Roux who passed in January 2021 and uncle Michel Roux who passed in March 2020]. There are lots of little touchpoints that make it very personal.

When diners come in here what happens?

We used to – pre-pandemic — do a special menu just for this and sort of treat it similar to a chef ’s table. But since we’ve come back, due to front of house and kitchen shortage of staff, we use it just as an extra table, but it’s a rather special table because it’s a private/semi-private table. So, you get the buzz of the restaurant but you’ve got your own little corner here, which seats six. We’ve squeezed eight in here before, but six is a really comfortable number. And it’s nice, and I always pay special attention to this table, I’ll come out and do a little bit extra and sometimes chef Rachel (Head Chef Rachel Humphrey) will pop in here as well and say hello to the people.

You’ve been very busy on our TV screens over the past decade. I know you were in the South of France when I was trying to arrange this interview. Does this mean there are any new shows in the works? Perhaps another series of French Country Cooking?

That’s what I was filming! Back in Saint-Rémy in that beautiful house and cooking this time more summer dishes, because the last series was kind of spring, whereas this one is full-on summer so that was wonderful and we’ve got some lovely dishes lined up and we’ve visited some new suppliers. We’ve had loads and loads of fun on it and there’s some great recipes. It’s actually hard work filming there, it doesn’t look like it, but it’s full-on, it’s really really full-on but it’s a wonderful place. So, I’m very relaxed and enjoying the food I’m cooking because it really is a true reflection of what I cook at home: it’s very simple and straightforward good French country cooking. So that should be out hopefully September [2022] because it’s a very quick turnaround for that. All going to plan we will be doing a winter one as well, so I’ll be going out there then. Winter food is completely different: long slow cooking of meats and lots of game and wild mushrooms and stuff, so it will be totally different.

Michel Roux outside Le Gavroche

That’s an excellent segue to my next question. This interview will be in our autumn issue, what are some of your favourite dishes of this season at Le Gavroche?

Oh, my word, I love seasons and I love the change of seasons. By that I mean at the moment we’ve got the English cherries and we’ve come to the end of strawberries. So, you gorge yourself on those lovely summer berries and summer fruit and then by the end of it you think ‘I’ve had enough of this, it’s time to move on’. At least you should be. Then you get to autumn time and you’re thinking the first of the game season is starting, the first of the truly wild mushrooms and all of that. The days get much much shorter very quickly and it gets pretty chilly in the evening, so you’re thinking slow-cooked, lovely shoulders of lamb, cooked several hours. All of that. And food starts getting browner. It warms you up inside. Fruit-wise, pears… tarte tatin. It annoys me when I see a tarte tatin in the summer months, which you do. Some restaurants insist on having tarte tatin. It’s not a summer dessert. We make tarte tatin here, but pears as well…pears in red wine.

We’ve just had the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations this weekend past. Given that you’re on the Royal Household Wine Committee, I’m assuming you might have a special invitation or two up your sleeve?

I was at Epsom [Epsom Downs Racecourse, at Chez Roux Blue Riband] so I was working, so had I had an invitation I wouldn’t have been able to go! But it was so sad that the Queen couldn’t make it, because we know that it’s her favourite race meet and she would have been really very upset not to have attended that. It was a great event. Epsom went really well and everyone had a great day out.

Your daughter Emily opened a restaurant (Caractère in Notting Hill) in 2018. Was it a given that she’d also work in the industry?

That’s right, you just missed her: she was here! Ever since I can remember when she was a small girl, she wanted to be a chef. She’s always said that, we never pushed her into it. On the contrary, my wife tried to dissuade her a bit and said, ‘look there are other things in life than being a chef and look at your dad he’s coming back home late at night and grumpy and all of that and tired’. No, but she always wanted to be a chef so we helped her where we could and she’s turned out to be a very talented chef and very very good at what she does. I was at Caractère about a month ago for a lunch, the food there is extraordinary and Diego [Ferrari] her husband as well is an extremely talented chef and so they work together as a team. It’s beautiful, absolutely stunning food.

I know your grandson is only little, but is he showing any interest in the kitchen?

Absolutely, yes. It’s in the genes, isn’t it. What is that saying? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? He absolutely adores his food and he’s always playing with pots and pans and things like that. And he’s so interested, as soon as it’s dinner time or lunch time he wants to get up near the stove and see what’s cooking and see what’s happening. Very very curious. He’s two and a half.

You’ve run something like 20 marathons in your life. Any plans to run another London marathon next year?

Yeah, in my mind, but not in body! I still run 5km or 10km and I still try and keep very fit and go to the gym and everything, but my running days I think are well and truly over. My knees are shot and every now and then I get pain in my knees. I’ve had operations but it’s age and probably wear and tear. Quite often in the afternoon break I’d run a half marathon and think nothing of it. But when you’re standing on your feet for 14 to 16 hours a day as well as running, your joints don’t like it. Long walks are fabulous.

You’ve faced some really tough challenges over the past year, not just the closure of restaurants and the hospitality crisis, but – and you referenced this lovely photo earlier – the passing of your father and your uncle. Are there any special places in London that remind you of fond moments with your family? Or places where you instantly feel at peace?

It’s a difficult question. I love long walks, I alluded to that. I think there are many places in London when you walk, especially early in the morning, when there are not many people around… on a Sunday morning or something like that. The Embankment is lovely. It’s really nice, especially early morning because it gets very busy during the day. Or Richmond Park is wonderful, absolutely wonderful. Or, if we’re talking seasonally, how it changes over the seasons. You go for a walk in Richmond Park in summer and then within two weeks it’s gone golden brown, and it’s totally different, and likewise in spring, so it is a great place to go for a walk.

A few travel-focused questions now: where in the world would you have your last meal and what would it be?

That is a tough, tough question. It’s almost like ‘where’s your favourite restaurant’, it is incredibly difficult, but wherever I choose it would be with family. With my wife and my daughter and son-in-law and little one, little Julian…my grandson. I love the Indian Ocean and I love the Seychelles so maybe somewhere in the Seychelles. Very very simple. Maybe a little grilled lobster on the beach, some palmheart salad, and a nice rum. A spiced rum? Yes, something like that. They do that so well in the Seychelles.

When you fly, what five must-have items do you put in your carry-on luggage?

Trainers – yeah, absolutely, go for a run. Running kit: trainers, pair of shorts and a top. Funny that’s top of the list before anything else! A good book. Yeah, because I have so little time to read and I do enjoy reading. So, if I’m heading for a holiday destination and I know that I’m going to have downtime to sit and read: a book. A phone charger: it really is essential, isn’t it? You can’t go anywhere without being connected. An extra pair of glasses, because I am invariably going to lose a pair. I always do, or sit on them and break them. Actually, there is always – in every suitcase – there’s a spare set of glasses. That’s just automatic. Electric toothbrush.

Window seat or aisle?

I usually have aisle but I’m not that fussed. Giselle (Michel’s wife) normally takes the window and I take the aisle. Actually, no. Unless it’s long-haul! When it’s long-haul, Giselle tends to go to the loo more than I do [so she takes the aisle].

And finally, what kind of snacks does a Michelin-starred chef take on long journeys?

I hate cheap confectionery. I think it’s fairly well known that I really don’t like cheap confectionary, I can’t stand it, I abhor it. I hate fizzy sweet pop, and fizzy drinks as well, can’t stand it. So, none of those. I am partial to the odd packet of crisps. Just plain, good quality salt, good crisps. But I don’t pack them with me. Giselle packs stuff in her bag for emergency snacks, and they’re healthy snacks, so they’re good-quality bars: normally nut bars, and fruit bars. It sounds terribly pious and healthy and all that, but they fill you up, and they’re nice, they’re good. Or nuts, dried nuts and dried fruit, you can buy little packets of them and they’re very tasty.

And we’re done, thank you so much for your time. I’ll let you get ready for the evening service.

Is that it? That was easy!

Find out more

Rebecca Morrison, Head of Guest Experience “We are super excited to share many unique dining experiences with our clients this year. The UK and Ireland are certainly blessed with some of the best Michelin-starred chefs in the world and to be able to enjoy their culinary delights first-hand will guarantee very special experiences every time.”

Dream Escape also Loves…

Seasgair by Michel Roux Dining at the beautiful 19th-century Inverlochy Castle in the Scottish Highlands is already an event that brings much anticipation, but earlier this year Michel Roux launched Seasgair, the ultimate fine-dining experience. Presented by head chef Coalin Finn, the five courses are created in front of guests at the table, reminiscent of how the castle felt when it was a private home. It's a real treat for anyone visiting this corner of Perthshire.

Did you know? The experience is named “Seasgair”, but did you know that seasgair is Gaelic for warm, cosy and comfortable – and in addition to individual tables, there's also the option to dine at the Mary Shaw Table in the castle's library.

▶ Get in touch with Rebecca for more information. rebecca@dreamescape.co.uk