Health inspectors dish the dirt on top chef's restaurant Chez Roux

AN AWARD-winning upmarket restaurant fronted by legendary chef Albert Roux has been criticised by health inspectors who found a series of food safety breaches.

Chez Roux at Rocpool Reserve in Inverness was visited last month, a year after the restaurant, Mr Roux's first in Scotland, was reopened under his name.

Inspectors found a week-old pike mousse, four days past its shelf-life, in a fridge. They also reported that a preparation bench used for the storage of paperwork was dirty, as was the floor underneath the dishwasher.

The door seal of the chest freezer in the store room was also damaged and dirty, while the plastic splashback behind the handbasin was damaged, exposing bare wood.

The report pointed out there were no hygienic hand-drying facilities at the handbasin in the pot-wash area. They added: "Regular hand washing is important for personal cleanliness. All staff must be reminded of the need for this."

They noted a food handler was peeling boiled potatoes in the pot-wash area next to a sink filled with dirty water, and that the WC compartment opened directly into the bread-mixing area and store room.

Roux took over the kitchens 1 April, 2009, seven months after the five-star Rocpool Reserve was bought by an investment group that also owns the Inverlochy Castle in Fort William.

In February, Rocpool won Best Newcomer Restaurant at the Scottish Restaurant awards.

Yesterday a statement from Mr Roux and group manager Norbert Lieder said: "We strive to achieve the very highest standards within our restaurant and hotel and fully support the work of the Highland Council.

"It is disappointing that some areas of our service have been found to be short of both our and the council's expectations.

"We take the report's recommendations seriously and will be addressing its findings as a matter of urgency."