Cate Devine
IT will be a real family affair as three generations of a famous culinary dynasty come together for the first time to open two new restaurants in Scotland.
Emily Roux, 24, is joining her father Michel Jnr and grandfather Albert Roux in the new enterprise.
She studied at the famous Institut Paul Bocuse and has worked in the top kitchens of France, including Alain Ducasse’s La Trattoria in Monaco and the two Michelin starred Akrama in Paris.
Albert and Michel Jnr, supported by Emily, are to open the first of their co-branded fine dining restaurants at Inverlochy Castle near Fort William later this month, closely followed by the opening of the second at the restored 14th century Crossbasket Castle in High Blantyre on the outskirts of Glasgow on May 1.
Both restaurants will be intimate, seating up to 50 at Inverlochy and 25 at Crossbasket, and will be run by chefs trained in Roux kitchens, whose graduates include Marco Pierre White, Marcus Wareing and Andrew Fairlie.
It marks the first time the father and son duo have collaborated in Scotland. They first worked together in 1985, when Michel Jnr joined the team at London’s Le Gavroche, which he now runs. Emily - whose cooking focuses on contemporary global cuisine - will also support menu development at the restaurants, making them a true family affair.
Michel Jnr said: “There is so much fantastic produce and talent to be found in Scotland. I’m particularly thrilled about Emily coming on board – my father and I are classically French in style whereas Emily is slightly more contemporary in her cooking. It makes for a great dynamic, and a very exciting time for the Rouxs.”
Speaking of the new venture, Albert Roux OBE, KFO, who currently runs five Chez Roux restaurants across Scotland, said: “Michel Jnr and I are hugely excited about working together at these two fantastic locations. The ‘Albert and Michel Roux Jnr’ restaurants will offer menus in the style of Le Gavroche but with a contemporary and distinctly Scottish twist, focusing on ingredients that are, as far as possible, hyper-local to each location.
“There is no doubt Scotland is coming of her culinary age. We have a population that loves food and is becoming increasingly aware of the fantastic produce in the seas, fields and forests.”
Both Inverlochy Castle and Crossbasket are managed by Inverlochy Castle Management International.
Businessman Steve Timoney and his wife Alison Reid-Timoney bought Crossbasket Castlein 2011, a year after it was listed on Scotland’s Buildings At Risk Register. Over the last five years the couple have invested over £9 million restoring the building to its former glory as one of the area’s most beautiful historic homes. They have also added a Grand Ballroom to the castle, which overlooks the stunning waterfalls on the River Calder and accommodating up to 250 event guests.
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