MARISA DUFFY and DAVID ROSS
In the beginning, there was British cuisine. And it was bad. Then came French brothers Albert and Michel Roux, who transformed modern restaurant cuisine in the UK with their pioneering use of quality ingredients. Now, multi-award-winning chef Albert Roux has announced that he plans to open his first Scottish restaurant in Inverness.
Chez Roux will open on April 1 next year at the city's Rocpool Reserve hotel. Speaking as he hosted the second of two gourmet introductory weekends at the hotel, Mr Roux said he had been impressed by the establishment's elegance and style, which he described as unrivalled outside London.
"Inverness is also a city which, despite its small size, has an exciting restaurant scene, and a great culture for dining out," he said.
"We're not revealing the details yet, but Chez Roux will bring something completely new and unique to the city."
Certainly, his existing restaurants are rated among the best in the world. London institution Le Gavroche, which Albert and his younger brother Michel opened in 1967, was the first in the UK to be awarded three Michelin stars.
Likewise, the Waterside Inn, which opened in the Berkshire village of Bray in 1972, gained its third Michelin star in 1985.
The announcement of the Inverness restaurant comes seven months after the five-star Rocpool Reserve was bought by the owners of Inverlochy Castle, a luxurious country house hotel near Fort William.
Kerry Watson, General Manager of Rocpool Reserve, said: "We're delighted to announce Chef Roux's arrival in Scotland. He is undoubtedly among the very top names in the worldwide restaurant scene and having him here, bringing his wealth of experience to the restaurant at Rocpool Reserve, is a real coup.
"Over the next few months Chef Roux will be working with our existing team to introduce a new menu and the Roux signature style to his restaurant."
Albert Roux, who has trained chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Marco Pierre White, was the youngest ever recipient of the Maitre Cuisinier de France.
In a poll of UK chefs carried out by Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine in 2003, the Roux brothers were voted the most influential chefs in the country. Their profound effect on British cuisine led to them both being awarded an OBE in 2002.
News of Roux's imminent arrival was welcomed across the Scottish restaurant industry. Ian Fleming, chairman of the Glasgow Restaurateurs Association, said the news reflected well on Scotland.
"The fact that he has picked Scotland over Leeds, Newcastle and Manchester, which could all have been alternative options, is good. I think it's fair to say that the south east of England and London are already saturated and it's good that he has spied that Scotland is a land of opportunity."
Malcolm Duck, chairman of the Edinburgh Restaurateurs Association, welcomed some positive news in the midst of uncertain economic climate. He said: "The Roux brothers are hugely respected, they know what they are doing.
"Inverness has changed dramatically. It is one of the fastest-growing places in the UK, there's an airport there, they could do fantastically well. Just because it's a tough time doesn't mean to say that something good won't succeed."
In Inverness, Barry Larsen is owner of the Glenmoriston Town House Hotel and its award-winning Abstract restaurant, which featured in Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares in 2005.
He welcomed Mr Roux to the Highland capital, despite the competition he will bring: "I think it is fantastic, although I don't know if Mr Roux will be in the kitchen all the time. But I wish him every success."
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