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Manager - Entertainment Administration
Industry: Hospitality
Location: Dubai, UAE -
Assistant Front Office
Industry: Hospitality
Location: Dubai, UAE
Members only
by ArabianBusiness.com staff writer on Saturday, 17 May 2008
French celebrity chef and scholarship founder Michel Roux gives Caterer an insight into one of the most exclusive chefs' clubs.
Why did you bring the Roux scholarship to Dubai this year?
I like to take my young scholars for an educational tour of a region and at least 75% of them have never been to Dubai, so I thought that it would be a great occasion for them to discover the city.
I like to take my young scholars for an educational tour of a region and at least 75% of them have never been to Dubai so I thought that it would be a great occasion for them to discover the city.
It's a learning experience but at the same time we get to enjoy ourselves and bond with fellow chefs because friendship in this industry is very important.
How do you arrange this kind of trip?
It's not easy because all of the judges, chefs and scholars have their own jobs and restaurants and it's difficult to get people together in the same place, but when it happens it's worthwhile.
Why did you originally set up the Roux scholarship?
Twenty-five years ago, eating in the UK was appalling and we were among the only people who were cooking what I call 'top food'.
We were cooking fine cuisine and we wanted to help the young British chefs develop.
There are not many top chefs today that do not come from the Roux brothers and they are all leaders in their field, such as Gordon Ramsay, for example.
What makes a Roux scholar?
They're all talented and apart from their natural ability in the kitchen, they all love food.
They have a passion for cooking and are natural leaders - all in all they're very gifted.
To enter a competition like this you have to have guts and these chefs are all strong-willed and want to push the boundaries to achieve better.
How can aspiring chefs become Roux scholars?
We select the top 18 from 60-80 applicants and conduct three cook-off competitions in London, Bristol and Scotland. There are six competitors in each cook-off and we select the best two from the three heats.
The final is held in London and the competitors have no idea what they have to cook. They have half an hour to read the menu and two and a half hours to cook before a winner is decided by the judges.
The winner will join a very exclusive club and also have the opportunity to work for a three-star Michelin chef of their choice.
Will you be bringing the scholarship back to Dubai in future?
We've just landed so it's very difficult to say, but I will consult all of my young scholars to find out what they think when the tour is over.
It's very important in life to listen, because you cannot progress without it. I always ask the scholars to write little essays for me to review their experiences and for us to keep in our scrapbook.
Michel Roux — Á La minute
• At the age of 14, Michel Roux became a pastry chef and later followed his elder brother Albert to Paris to work as a chef.
• Roux then moved to London with his brother where they opened their first restaurant together in 1967 called Le Gavroche, which became the first restaurant in Britain to gain one, two and ultimately three Michelin stars.
• Roux was awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France for patisserie in 1972 and an honorary OBE alongside his brother in 2002.
• Roux is also the recipient of the New York International Center's Award of Excellence.
• In a poll of UK chefs carried out by Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine in 2003, Roux and his brother were voted the most influential chefs in the country.
• At the age of 14, Michel Roux became a pastry chef and later followed his elder brother Albert to Paris to work as a chef.
• Roux then moved to London with his brother where they opened their first restaurant together in 1967 called Le Gavroche, which became the first restaurant in Britain to gain one, two and ultimately three Michelin stars.
• Roux was awarded the Meilleur Ouvrier de France for patisserie in 1972 and an honorary OBE alongside his brother in 2002.
• Roux is also the recipient of the New York International Center's Award of Excellence.
• In a poll of UK chefs carried out by Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine in 2003, Roux and his brother were voted the most influential chefs in the country.
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